RIS 


LLIS    BUDGE 


D.visica   BL24-50 

Sectio.    -OTBqZ 

V,  2. 


Digitized  by  tine  Internet  Archive 

in  2008  with  funding  from 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Library 


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OSIRIS  AND  THE  EGYPTIAN 
RESURRECTION  VOLUME   II 


THE    GREAT    JUDGMENT    OF    OSIRIS-THE    WEIGHING    OF    THE     HEART    IN    THE     BALANCE. 


Tcxls:  A.  A  pr. 
rccitcti  by  the  deer; 
whilst  his  heart  is  h< 
weighed  before  0> 
Chap.  XXXUof  the  i 
of  the  Dead. 

B.  The  Adtlrcs. 
Thoth  to  the  go(i« 
nouncinR  the  innoc. 
of  the  deceatrd,  aiul 
result  of  the  wci^hiiif; 

C       Address   of    Hofl 

the  Avenger  of  his  falh 

Osiris,    who    iiitrod 

Hunefer 

informs    him     that     th 

tongue  of  the  B 

that  the  heart  of  the  dc 
ceased    counterbalan 
the    symbol    of    Tr 


Amenti.theGr.atGod,  seated  in  his  shrine  of  fire  on  a  thro         h'  h 
/  cnina  mm  stand  the  goddesses  Isis  and  Nephthys. 


JANBli 


SIRIS  AN 

THE  EGYPTIAN 
RESURRRCTION 
BYE.A.WALLIS  BUDGE 

M.A.  LITT.D.  D.LITT.  D.LIT.  F.S.A.  KEEPER 
OF  THE  EGYPTIAN  AND  ASSYRIAN  AN- 
TIQUITIES IN  THE  BRITISH  MUSEUM. 
ILLUSTRATED  AFTER  DRAWINGS  FROM 
EGYPTIAN  PAPYRI  AND  MONUMENTS 


MDCCCCXI 


LONDON:  PHILIP  LEE  WARNER 
NEW  YORK:  G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS 


CONTENTS   OF  VOLUME   II 

Page 

List  of  Illustrations   ...         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...  vii 

Chapter     XIV. — The  Shrines,  Miracle  Play,  and  Mysteries 

OF  Osiris    ...         ...         ...         ...         ...  i 

„  XV. — The  Mysteries  of  Osiris  at  Denderah, 

AND  THE  Forms  of  Osiris  in  the  Great 

Cities  of  Egypt,  his  104  Amulets,  etc.  21 

„  XVI. — The    Book    of    Making    the    Spirit    of 

Osiris,    or    the    Spirit     Burial,    the 
Lamentations   of   Isis   and   Nephthys, 

Hymns  TO  Osiris,  ETC 44 

,,        XVII. — Osiris  and  the  African  Grave  ...         ...  79 

,,       XVIII. — African       Funeral      Ceremonies      and 

Burials  described          ...         ...         ...  90 

,,  XIX. — The  African  Doctrine  of  Last  Things  : 

Immortality         ...         ...         ...         ...  116 

The  Ka  or  Double        ...         ...         ...  117 

The  Spirit-Body  ...         ...         ...         ...  123 

The  Shadow         ...         ...         ...         ...  126 

The  Soul  of  the  Ka,  or  Body-Soul...  128 

The  Heart           ...         ...         ...         ...  130 

The  Spirit-Soul  ...         ...         ...         ...  132 

The  Dual-Soul    ...         ...         ...         ...  135 

Transmigration  of  Souls  and  Trans- 
formation        ...         ...         ...         ...  139 

New  Birth  and  Reincarnation         ...  141 

De.\th        ...         ...         ...         ...         ...  143 

„           XX. — Spirits  and  the  Spirit-World    ...         ...  14S 

The  Place  of  Departed  Spirits            ...  155 

„          XXI. — Magic  (Witchcraft),  White  and  Black  169 

,,        XXII. — Fetishism       ...         ...         ...         ...         ...  196 

,,      XXIII. — Spitting  as  a  Religious  Act       ...         ...  202 

The    Wearing    of    Tails    by   Men    and 

Women       ...         ...         ...         ...         ...  206 

,,       XXIV. — Miscellaneous  : 

Sickness  caused  by  an  Offended  Deity  210 
Sickness   caused    by   the   Spirit   of   a 

Dead  Wife        ...          ...          ...          ...  211 

Marriage  ...         ...         ...         ...         ...  213 

Respect  for  the  Aged...         ...         ...  216 

Purification  after  Birth        ...         ...  217 

VOL.  11.  B 


VI 


Contents 


Chapter  XXIV. — Miscellaneous  {continued) : 

Circumcision,  Excision,  and  Infibula- 

TION 

Twins 

Steatopygous  Women    ... 

The  Poisoning  of  Ra    ... 

Osiris  restored  to  Life  by  Isis 

The  Spitting  Serpent  ... 

The  Insect  Sepa... 

Snake  Worship    ... 

The  Crocodile    ... 

The    Use    of    the    Net    in    Fowling, 
Fishing,  and  Hunting  

Strong  Names 

The  Election  of  a  King 

Pottery  made  by  Hand 

Finger  Nails 

Figures  and  Counting... 

Time,  the  Year,  Seasons,  etc. 

Astronomy 

The  Pillow  or  Head-rest 

The  Dance  of  the  God 

Under-World 

Magical  Figures 

Incense 

Sitting  on  the  Shoulders 

Red  Body  Colouring    ... 

The  Tortoise 

The  Primitive  Village... 

Decoration  of  Bows  of  Boats 

Tree-Worship 

The  Throne 

Dried  Human  Bodies    ... 

Cannibalism,  Human  Sacrifice,  etc 

The  Spirit  Burial,  or  Second  Burial 
,,         XXV. — The  Goddess  Isis  and  her  Cult 
,,       XXVI. — The    Worship    of    Osiris    and    Isis    in 

Foreign  Lands    ... 
Greek    Inscription    dedicated    to    Isis, 

Sarapis,  Anubis,  and  Harpokrates    ... 

Appendix. — Translations    "from    the    Pyramid    Texts   of 

Pepi  I,  Mer-en-Ra,  and  Pepi  II,  describing  the 

Power  and  Glory  of  these  Kings  in  Heaven 

Additional  Notes 

Index    


Fagf 

221 

224 
228 
231 
232 

234 
236 

238 

241 

243 

244 

245 
246 
246 
249 
251 
252 

253 
253 
254 

255 
256 

258 
259 
259 
259 
262 
264 
265 
266 
270 

283 

290 


307 
364 
367 


ILLUSTRATIONS  TO  VOLUME  II 


The  Weighing  of  the  Heart  of  Hunefer  in  the  Judgment 
Hall  of  Osiris.  From  the  Papyrus  of  Hunefer  in 
the  British  Museum  ... 


Seti  I  addressing  Osiris  in  his  shrine 

The  Soul  of  Osiris,  incarnate  in  a  Ram    ... 

The  Model  of  Osiris  used  in  the  ceremonies  at  Denderah 

The  Model  of  Seker  used  in  the  ceremonies  at  Denderah 

Osiris  of  Denderah  on  his  bier 

Osir 

Osir 

Osir 

Osir 

Osir 

Osir 

Osir 

Osir 

Osir 


his  bier 


s  of  Coptos  on  his  bier 

s  Khenti  Amenti  of  Thebes  lying  naked  on 

s  Khenti  Amenti  of  Eileithyias  on  his  bier 

s  of  Edftl  on  his  bier  ... 

s  Khenti  Amenti  of  Nubia  on  his  bier 

s  of  Cusae  on  his  bier 

s  Mer-at-f  of  Apis-town  on  his  bier  ... 

s  of  Libya  on  his  bier 

s  of  Denderah  begetting  Horus 
Seker-Osiris  of  Busiris,  naked,  on  his  bier 
Seker-Osiris  of  Busiris,  with  loin  cloth,  on  his  bier 
Seker-Osiris  of  Busiris,  in  mummified  form,  on  his  bier 
Seker-Osiris  of  Memphis  on  his  bier 
Osiris-Tet  in  Busiris 
The  104  Amulets  of  Osiris 
Osiris  of  An  (Heliopolis)  on  his  bier 
Osiris  of  Hebit  on  his  bier 
The  Soul  of  Osiris  on  the  Erica  tree 
Osiris  of  Hermopolis  turning  on  his  bier  to  rise... 
Osiris  Un-Nefer  of  Bubastis 
Osiris  Hemka  begetting  Horus 
Osiris-Seker,  Lord  of  the  Shrine  of  Abydos,  seated 
The  Resurrection  of  Osiris  Khenti  Amenti 
Isis  and  Nephthys  bewailing  the  death  of  Osiris... 
Osiris  on  his  bier  smelling  a  flower 
Osiris  on  his  bier,  under  which  are  the  vases  containing 

heart,  liver,  lungs,  and  other  organs... 
Anubis  anointing  the  mummy  of  Osiris  ... 
The  bier  and   coffer  of  Fenth-f-ankh  Khenti  Abti,  a  form 

Osiris  ... 
A  local  form  of  Osiris  worshipped  at  Pehu 
Isis  and  Nephthys  providing  Osiris  with  air 
Seker-Osiris  in  his  funerary  coffer... 
Seker-Osiris  of  Busiris 


Frontispiece 


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B  2 


Vlll 


Illustrations 


Horus  opening  the  Mouth  of  Osiris  with  a  spear 

Osiris-Tet  of  Busiris 

Seker-Osiris  of  Busiris 

Two  goddesses  performing  a  magical  ceremony  for  Osiris 

The  Resurrection  of  Osiris  as  depicted  at  Philae 

The  Shrine  Tenter  on  its  sledge   ... 

The  Serekh  Shrine  containing  remains  of  Osiris... 

The  Boat  of  Seker-Osiris  on  its  sledge 

The  Maat  Boat  on  its  sledge 

A  Boat  of  Horus  on  its  sledge 

The  Sektet  Boat  on  its  sledge 

The  Boat  of  the  Aterti  of  the  North         

The  Boat  of  the  Aterti  of  the  South         

Boat  with  a  shrine  containing  the  Body  of  Osiris 

The  Sethenu  Boat  of  Osiris  on  its  sledge 

The  Boat  containing  the  Head-box  and  standard  of  Osiris 

The  Makhet  Boat  on  its  sledge    ... 

Section  of  a  Mastabah  Tomb 

Deities  presenting  Amen-hetep  HI  and  his  Ka  to  Amen-Ra 

The  Doubles  of  Ani  and  his  wife  drinking  water  in  the  Other 

World 

Isis  giving  bread  and  water  to  the  Heart-Soul     ... 

The  deceased  setting  out  for  the  Other  World    ... 

The  deceased  building  himself  a  house  in  the  Other  World 

The  steatopygous  Queen  of  Punt ... 

Egyptian  Pillow 

The  Bull-god  Asar-Hep     ...         ...         


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158 

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229 

253 
272 


OSIRIS  AND  THE  EGYPTIAN 
RESURRECTION 

CHAPTER   XIV. 

The  Shrines,  Miracle  Play,  and  *■  Mysteries  " 
OF  Osiris. 

It  is  impossible  to  state  when  and  where  the  first 
shrines  in  honour  of  Osiris  were  built  in  Egypt,  but  it  is 
tolerably  certain  that  his  most  ancient  shrine  in  the 
South  was  at  Abydos,  and  his  most  ancient  shrine  in  the 
North  at  Busiris,  and  that  the  cult  of  the  god  was  firmly 
established  in  these  places  at  the  beginning  of,  if  not 
before,  the  Dynastic  Period.  Of  these  the  older  is 
probably  Abtu  (Abydos),  for  every  tradition  about  the 
worship  of  Osiris  asserts  his  head  to  have  been  buried 
there,  and  the  importance  of  Abydos,  even  in  the  earliest 
times,  appears  to  have  been  due  to  the  fact  that  the 
town  contained  his  head,  the  most  important  part  of  the 
god's  body.  Abydos  was,  moreover,  quite  near  to 
Netat,  or  Netit,^  the  town  on  the  Nile,  or  great  canal  of 
the  district,  near  which  Osiris  was  murdered  by  Set,  and 
it  was  more  natural  for  I  sis  when  she  found  her 
husband's  dead  body  there  to  take  it  to  Abydos  than  to 
some  more  remote  town.  And  as  the  symbol  of  the 
city  and  its  name  was  the  coffer,  or  basket,  which 
contained    the  head  of   Osiris,   with    plumes    above  the 

coffer  and  a  serpent  passing  through  it,  "^&. ,  we  may 

assume  that  the  connection  of  the  city  with  the 
cult  of  Osiris  was  exceedingly  ancient.     T^-ttu  (Busiris), 

in  the  Delta,  which  contained  the  backbone  of  Osiris  u, 

was  undoubtedly  the  most  important  of  all  the  shrines  of 
Osiris  in  the  North,  but  it  never  enjoyed  the  reputation  and 
fame  of  Abydos. 


1 


(^£^'    C^Sa  i  i  © 


2         Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

It  is  idle  to  speculate  on  the  form  of  the  shrine  of 
Osiris  under  the  first  three  dynasties,  but  it  was 
probably  a  small  building  made  of  mud  strengthened 
with  reeds,  and  covered  over  with  a  wooden  roof. 
Inside  it  was  probably  a  figure  of  the  god  seated  on 
a  throne  with  steps,  and  near  it  was  his  characteristic 
symbol,  either  laid  upon  the  ground,  or  supported 
on  a  stand.  The  cleaning  and  preservation  of  his 
shrine  were,  no  doubt,  committed  to  the  care  of  a 
special  body  of  men,  who  thus  became  his  priests,  and 
received  the  offerings  made  to  him,  and  made  arrange- 
ments for  his  festivals  and  for  the  performance  of  the 
annual  play,  in  which  his  sufferings,  death,  and  resurrec- 
tion were  acted.  No  details  of  these  matters  are  found 
in  the  earliest  texts,  but  we  know  from  the  evidence  of 
the  inscriptions  that  such  a  play  was  performed  at 
Abydos  once  a  year  under  the  Middle  and  New 
Empires,  and  it  is  only  reasonable  to  assume  that  it 
reproduced  all  the  essential  features  of  the  great  annual 
festival  of  the  god  which  was  celebrated  under  the 
Ancient  Empire.  In  religious  matters  at  least  the  con- 
servatism of  the  ancient  Egyptians  was  absolute. 

When  the  worship  of  Osiris  was  first  established  at 
Abydos  the  inhabitants  of  the  district  worshipped  Seker, 
the  god  of  Death,  the  two  Ap-uati  gods,  Anubis,  An-her, 
Khenti  Amenti,  etc..  but  by  the  close  of  the  Vlth  dynasty 
Osiris  had  become  the  chief  god  of  the  district,  and  all 
the  local  forms  of  the  above-mentioned  gods  had  become 
subordinate  to  him.  The  fame  of  the  god  who  rose 
from  the  dead  himself,  and  could  make  his  followers  to 
rise  from  death  to  life  immortal,  had  spread  to  all  parts 
of  Egypt,  and  the  bodies  of  the  wealthy  who  died  in 
other  parts  of  Egypt  were  taken  there  and  buried.  It 
was  believed  that  the  dead  who  were  buried  at  Abydos 
would  be  joined  by  the  god  to  his  company  of  followers 
in  the  Other  World,  that  they  would  enjoy  his  protec- 
tion, and  that  they  would  share  in  his  offerings  on 
festival  days,  and  become  partakers  with  him  in  immor- 
tality and  everlasting  happiness.  The  aim  of  every 
good  man  was  to  become  an  Osiris,  and  even  in  the 
Pyramid  Texts  we  find  it  tacitly  assumed  that  the  kings 
for   whom    they   were   written    had    each    become    an 


Shrines,  Miracle  Play,  and  "  Mysteries  "         3 

Osiris,  and  the  name  of  Osiris  is  actually  prefixed  to  the 
names  of  some  of  them.  Osiris  had  become  the  god  of 
the  dead,  par  excellence,  and  Abydos  was  the  earthly 
centre  of  his  kingdom.  Very  few  Egyptians  who  were 
not  natives  of  the  neighbourhood  could  afford  to  buy 
tombs  there  and  be  buried  in  them,  and  the  transport  of 
mummified  bodies  from  a  great  distance  was  both 
difficult  and  costly.  Nevertheless,  many  men  were  so  eager 
that  their  dead  bodies  should  rest  on  the  sacred  soil  of 
Abydos,  and  be  near  Osiris,  if  only  for  a  short  time,  that 
it  became  the  custom  among  the  well-to-do  classes 
to  transport  the  mummies  of  their  kinsfolk  to  Abydos  so 
that  they  might  absorb  the  beneficent  emanations  from 
the  shrine  of  the  god,  and  be  blessed  by  the  influence  of 
the  place  and  its  holy  associations.  These  mummies 
were  then  taken  back  by  river  to  the  places  whence  they 
came,  and  buried  in  the  tombs  which  had  been  provided 
for  them.  The  popularity  of  Osiris  could  not  fail  to  be 
of  material  benefit,  not  only  to  his  priesthood,  but  also 
to  the  town  of  Abydos  in  general.  The  old  mud  shrine 
of  the  god  would  disappear,  and  a  building  made  of 
wood  or  stone  take  its  place,  and  his  festivals  would  be 
celebrated  with  greater  pomp  and  more  lavish  display. 
His  priesthood  would  become  wealthy,  and  every  servant 
of  his  would  benefit  in  every  way  by  the  great  fame  of 
his  god.  During  the  great  festival  of  Osiris  at  the  end 
of  the  year  the  plain  round  about  Abydos  would  be 
thronged  with  pilgrims  from  all  parts  of  the  country,  and 
at  this  time  the  inhabitants  would  gain  enough  to  last 
them  for  the  remainder  of  the  year. 

The  great  festival  of  Shekh  Sayyid  al-Badawi  at  Tanta 
offers  many  parallels  to  the  great  festival  of  Osiris  at 
Abydos.  At  Tanta  I  have  seen  dead  bodies  brought  in 
and  laid  for  a  few  moments  by  the  tomb  of  the  saint,  or 
simply  carried  round  his  tomb-chamber,  in  order  to  obtain 
his  blessing,  and  men  and  women  stand  motionless  and 
silent  by  the  iron  gates  of  the  tomb,  merely  to  be 
blessed  by  its  presence,  and  to  gain  a  share  in  the 
spiritual  benefits  which  are  believed  to  emanate  from  it. 
A  large  iron  box  for  offerings  stands  near  the  tomb 
gates,  and  though  nine-tenths  of  the  people  are  very 
poor,  their  humble  contributions  are  said  to  amount  to 


4         Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

;^E. 40,000  a  year.  Similarly  the  revenue  of  Osiris, 
though  all  the  offerings  were  in  kind,  there  being  no 
money  in  Egypt  before  the  reign  of  Darius,  must  have 
been  very  great,  and  his  landed  property  large. 

Of  the  history  of  Abydos  and  its  god  Osiris  from  the 
end  of  the  Vlth  to  the  beginning  of  the  Xllth  dynasty 
we  know  nothing,  but  under  the  kings  of  the  Xllth 
dynasty  the  worship  of  Osiris  developed  to  an  extra- 
ordinary degree,  and  his  sanctuary  attained  to  a  position 
of  importance  hitherto  unknown.  Thus  in  an  inscription 
published  by  Daressy,^  we  read  that  a  king,  probably 
Usertsen  I,  gave  to  Khenti-Amenti  [Osiris]  three  metal 
vases  and  an  ebony  censer-holder.  From  the  stele  of 
Khent-em-semti,^  an  official  of  Amen-em-hat  at  Abydos, 
we  learn  that  Osiris  was  at  that  time  called  the  "  lord  of 
life,"  "  governor  of  eternity,"  and  "  Ruler  of  Amenti," 
i.e.,  the  Other  World,  and  that  Abydos  was  the  place  to 
which  all  souls  flocked  to  obtain  blessing,  to  eat  bread 
with  the  god,  and  to  "  come  forth  by  day."  This  ofificial 
had  lived  a  righteous  life,  he  says,  so  that  Osiris  might 
be  gracious  to  him  in  judgment,  and  permit  him  to  enter 
his  holy  boat.  On  the  stele  of  I-kher-nefert  we  are  told 
that  Usertsen  III  ordered  this  official  to  go  to  Abydos 
and  build  a  sanctuary  for  Osiris,  and  to  adorn  his  shrine 
with  some  of  the  gold  which  the  god  had  enabled  him  to 
bring  from  Nubia  after  his  victorious  campaign  in  that 
country.  I-kher-nefert  carried  out  his  lord's  commands, 
and  built  a  shrine   for  Osiris  made  from,  sweet-smellino- 

o 

woods,  and  inlaid  with  gold,  silver,  and  lapis-lazuli,  and  he 
made  new  shrines  for  the  other  gods  of  Abydos.  He 
drew  up  regulations  for  the  service  of  the  priests,  and 
defined  the  duties  of  each  of  them,  and  made  careful 
arrangements  for  the  celebration  of  festivals  throughout 
the  year.  He  provided  a  new  Neshmet  Boat  for  Osiris, 
i.e.,  a  new  copy  of  the  famous  boat  in  which  Osiris  set 
sail  on  the  expedition  against  Set  in  which  he  lost  his 
life,  and  added  to  it  a  suitable  shrine  wherein  the  figure 
or  statue  of  the  god  was  to  be  placed.  He  made  a  new 
statue  of  the  god  and  decorated  it  with  lapis-lazuli, 
turquoise,  silver-gold,  and  precious  stones  of  all  kinds, 

^  Annales  du  Service,  torn.  IV.         ^  British  Museum,  No.  146  (574). 


Shrines,  Miracle  Play,  and  *'  Mysteries"         5 

and  it  was  as  beautiful  as  the  body  of  the  god  should  be, 
and  he  provided  apparel  and  ornaments  for  the  festal 
attire  of  Osiris.^  In  addition  to  the  ordinary  priests, 
I-kher-nefert  appointed  a  priest  to  the  sanctuary  at 
Abydos  whose  title  was  "  Sa-mer-f,"^z>.,  "  his  (the  god's) 
beloved  son."  This  priest  ministered  in  the  "  golden 
house,"  and  directed  all  ceremonies  which  were  per- 
formed in  connection  with  the  "  mystery  of  the  Lord  of 
Abydos."^  He  had  charge  of  all  the  sacred  dresses  and 
ornaments  of  the  god,  and  of  all  the  furniture  of  the 
shrine,  which  no  hands  but  his  might  touch,  and  he 
dressed  the  statue  of  Osiris  for  the  festivals  of  the  new 
moon  and  full  moon  each  month,  and  directed  the  moving 
of  it  when  it  was  necessary  to  do  so.  No  one  might 
assist  him  in  his  sacred  office  except  the  Sem  priest,  who 
also  had  to  be  a  man  of  "  clean  fingers."* 

The  second  portion  of  the  inscription  on  the  stele  of 
I-kher-nefert  is  of  very  great  importance,  for  it  describes 
briefly  the  principal  scenes  in  the  Osiris  play  which  was 
performed  at  Abydos  annually.  I-kher-nefert  himself 
played  a  prominent  part  in  this  "  Mystery  play,"  and  he 
describes  his  own  acts  as  follows  : — 

"  I  performed  the  coming  forth  of  Ap-uat  when  he 
set  out  to  defend  his  father." 

From  this  it  is  clear  that  in  the  Xllth  dynasty  Ap-uat 
was  regarded  as  the  son  of  Osiris,  and  that  he  acted  the 
part  of  leader  of  Osiris's  expedition,  which  was  repre- 
sented by  a  procession  formed  of  priests  and  the  ordinary 
people.  Ap-uat  walked  in  front,  next  came  the  boat 
containing  the  figure  of  the  god  and  a  company  of  priests 
or  "  followers  "  of  the  god,  and  the  rear  was  brought  up  by 
a  crowd  of  people. 

"  I  drove  back  the  enemy  from  the  Neshmet  Boat,^ 
I  overthrew  the  foes  of  Osiris. " 

The  boat  of  the  god  was  then  attacked  by  a  crowd 

^  For  the  text  see  Lepsius,  Denkmiiler,  Band  II,  Plate  135,  and 
Schafer's  monograph  in  Sethe,  Untersuchungen,  Band  IV,  No.  2, 
Leipzig,  1904.     The  stele  is  preserved  in  Berlin  (No.  1024). 


'^l^'^? 


TPffP 


5        /WAAAA 


6        Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

of  men  who  represented  the  foes  of  Osiris,  and,  as  the  god 
was  defenceless,  Ap-uat  engaged  them  in  combat,  and 
beat  them  off,  and  the  procession  then  continued  on  its 
way  in  the  temple. 

"  I  performed  the  *  Great  Coming-forth,'^  I  followed 
the  god  in  his  footsteps." 

This  act  was  the  greatest  in  the  Osiris  play,  for  it 
represented  the  "  coming  forth "  of  Osiris  from  the 
temple  after  his  death,  and  the  departure  of  his  body  to 
his  tomb.  A  solemn  service  was  performed  in  the  temple 
before  the  body  was  carried  from  it,  and  offerings  were 
eaten  sacramentally,  and  then  the  procession  set  out  for  the 
tomb.  When  it  reached  the  door  of  the  temple  it  was 
received  by  a  mighty  crowd  of  men  and  women  who 
raised  the  death-wail,  and  uttered  piercing  shrieks  and 
lamentations,  and  the  women  beat  their  breasts.*  Many 
of  the  men  in  the  crowd  were  armed  with  sticks  and 
staves,  and  some  of  them  pressed  forward  towards 
the  procession  with  the  view  of  helping  the  god,  whilst 
others  strove  to  prevent  them.  Thus  a  sham  fight  took 
place,  which,  owing  to  the  excitement  of  the  combatants, 
often  degenerated  into  a  serious  one.  And,  if  Herodotus 
was  correctly  informed,^  this  combat  with  clubs  was 
waged  with  great  obstinacy,  and  heads  were  broken,  and 
he  says,  though  this  the  Egyptians  denied,  many  men 
died  of  the  wounds  which  they  received  on  this  occasion. 
This  fight  was,  of  course,  intended  to  represent  the  great 
battle  which  took  place  in  prehistoric  times  between  Set 
and  Osiris,  when  Osiris  was  killed.  This  battle,  as  has 
been  already  said,  took  place  near  Netlt.  Whether 
Osiris  was  killed  outright  whilst  fighting,  or  whether  he 
was  wounded  and  taken  prisoner  by  Set  and  slain  after- 
wards, is  not  stated,  but  it  is  quite  clear  that  for  a  time 
no  one  knew  what  had  become  of  the  body  of  Osiris, 
and  that  his  followers  went  about  on  the  battlefield 
searching  for  it.  This  search  is  referred  to  in  the 
words,  "  I  followed  the  god  in  his  footsteps,"  i.e.,  I  traced 
the   god    by   his    footsteps.       I-kher-nefert   played    the 

^   ^^  *'^.  2  Herodotus,  II,  6i.  ^  jj^  53. 


Shrines,  Miracle  Play,  and  "  Mysteries  "         7 

part  of  leader  of  the  search  party,  and  their  wander- 
ings probably  occupied  three  days,  during  which  the 
sham  fight  between  the  followers  of  Osiris  and  the 
followers  of  Set  was  repeated  at  intervals,  and  great 
lamentations  were  made.  All  these  events  were  repre- 
sented by  the  words  "  great  coming- forth,"  which  to  every 
Egyptian  bore  the  most  solemn  significance. 

At  length  the  body  of  Osiris  was  found,  but  by  whom 
is  not  said  here. 

[A  passage  in  the  text  of  Pepi  I  supplies  the  informa- 
tion, and  shows  that  the  finders  of  the  body  of  Osiris 
were  Isis  and  Nephthys,  and  that  they  made  known  their 
sad  discovery  to  the  gods  of  Pe  by  their  cries  of  grief. ^ 
In  answer  to  the  appeal  of  Isis  the  god  Thoth  was  sent 
in  his  boat  to  convey  the  body  from  the  dyke  (?)  of 
Netat,  or  Netit,  to  its  tomb.  When  Thoth  arrived  he 
saw  Isis  with  the  body,  and  the  text  says  that  when  she 
found  it  it  was  lying  on  one  side,  and  that  she  caressed 
the  flesh,  and  fondled  the  hands,  and  embraced  the  body 
of  her  husband.y 

The  stele  of  I-kher-nefert  goes  on  to  say  : — 

"  I  made  the  boat  of  the  god  to  move,  and  Thoth 

)> 

What  exactly  Thoth  did  is  not  certain,  for  the  text  is 
broken,  but  it  is  clear  that  I-kher-nefert  acted  the  part  of 
a  ferryman  for  Thoth,  and  that  he  went  in  a  boat  con- 
taining a  figure  of  Thoth  to  bring  the  body  of  Osiris  from 
Netit  to  his  tomb.     The  text  continues  : — 

"  I  provided  the  Boat  of  the  Lord  of  Abydos  called 
"  '  Kha-em-Maat '  (i.e.,  'appearing  in  truth  ')  with  a  cabin 
"  shrine,  and  I  put  on  him  his  splendid  apparel  and 
"  ornaments  when  he  set  out  to  go  to  the  region  (?)  of 

,,   -n  "    I^     -^  ,-. 

reqer  ©. 

I  J  ^=  9  /wvvA/N  (I  o  ft  L^d'      "^^P^  ^'  ^'  ^°'*   ^  Mer-en-Ra» 

1.  339  =  Pepi  11,1.  865. 
2  Pepi  I,  1.  204. 


8         Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

From  this  passage  it  is  certain  that  Osiris  did  not  go 
to  his  grave  in  the  Neshmet  Boat,  but  in  another  boat 
called  Kha-em-Maat.  Nothing  is  said  here  about  the 
mummification  of  the  body  of  Osiris  which  took  place 
after  it  was  brought  from  Netit,  or  of  the  elaborate 
ceremonies  which  were  performed  in  connection  with  it 
by  Horus  and  his  Four  Sons.  These  are  mentioned  in 
several  places  in  this  book,  and  are,  therefore,  not 
described  here. 

From  an  inscription  quoted  by  Schafer^  we  know  that 
the  two  feathers  of  Maati  were  fastened  on  the  coffin,  or 

coffer,  of  Osiris,  "»Qn  ,  and  that  a  bandlet  was  tied  about 

the  god's  head,  and  that  a  model  of  his  enemy  Set  was 
placed  at  his  feet.  These  things  having  been  done, 
I-kher-nefert  continues : — 

"  I  directed  the  ways  of  the  god  to  his  tomb  in 
Peqer." 

Here  we  have  a  definite  statement  that  the  body  of 
Osiris  was  buried,  and  that  his  tomb  was  situated  in 
Peqer.  But  where  was  Peqer  ?  This  question  has  been 
satisfactorily  answered  by  the  extensive  excavations  of 
M.  Amdineau  at  Abydos,^  who  proved  that  Peqer  is  a 
portion  of  the  great  plain  of  Abydos  which  lies  about  a 
mile  and  a  half  from  the  temple  of  Osiris,  and  which  is 
known  to-day  by  the  Arabic  name  of  Umm  al-Ka'ab,  i.e., 
"  mother  of  pots,"  because  of  the  large  quantity  of  pottery 
which  has  been  found  there.  In  this  portion  of  the  plain 
are  found  the  tombs  of  the  kings  of  the  First  dynasty,  and 
among  them  is  one,  that  of  King  Khent,  which  the 
Egyptians  identified  as  the  tomb  of  Osiris.  There  is  not 
the  least  doubt  about  the  fact  of  the  identification,  for 
numerous  proofs  have  been  obtained  from  the  excavations 
that  the  place  was  called  Peqer,  and  that  under  the  New 
Empire  the  Egyptians  were  firmly  convinced  that  the 
tomb  of  Khent  was  the  tomb  of  Osiris.  Moreover,  the 
famous    cenotaph  of  Osiris,    which   was  made  probably 

^  Op.  cit,  p.  27. 

2  Amelineau,  Le  Tombeau  d* Osiris,  Paris,  1899,  and  the  other 
publications  of  the  Mission  Amelineau,  Les  Nouvelles  Fouilks  d' Abydos, 
Angers,  1893,  etc. 


Shrines,  Miracle  Play,  and  *'  Mysteries  " 


under    the    XXIInd    dynasty   and  which    is    described 
elsewhere,  was   found  here   by   M.   Am^ineau.      It  has 
been  argued  by  some^  that  the  identification  of  the  tomb 
of  Khent  as  the  tomb  of  Osiris  is  not  older  than  the 
XVIIIth  dynasty,  because  the  oldest  objects  found  round 
about  it  are  of  the  time  of  Amen-hetep  III,  about  1 500  B.C. 
But    the    stele    of   I-kher-nefert  of  the  Xllth   dynasty 
says  that  the  tomb  of  Osiris  was  in  Peqer,  and  as  the 
cult  of  Osiris  developed  greatly  from  the  Xllth  dynasty 
onwards,    it   seems   to    me    wholly    impossible    for    the 
Egyptians  to  have  forgotten  between  the  Xllth  and  the 
XVIIIth  dynasties 
the  whereabouts  of 
the    tomb    of    the 
god  on  whom  their 
hopes  of  resurrec- 
tion and  immortal- 
ity centred.    When 
the  Egyptiansof  the 
XVIIIth  dynasty 
asserted    that    the 
tomb  which  we  now 
know  to  be  that  of 
King     Khent    was 
the  tomb  of  Osiris, 
they  were  undoubt- 
edly asserting  their 
belief  in  a  tradition 
which  was  even  at  that  time  many  centuries  old.    Similarly 
the    Egyptians  of   the    XXIInd  dynasty  asserted  their 
acceptance    of   the    traditional    belief  of   the    XVIIIth 
dynasty  by  making  the  famous  cenotaph  of  Osiris,  and 
placing  it  at  Peqer,   or  Umm  al-Ka'ab.     Whether  the 
identification  of  the  tomb  of  Khent  as  that  of  Osiris  is 
correct  is  a  wholly  different  matter,  which   it  is  useless  to 
argue,  for  the  evidence  which  is  necessary  for  deciding 
the    question   is    not  available,  even  if  it  exists.      It  is 
unlikely    that    there    were    two    tombs    in     Peqer,    each 
claiming  to  be  the  tomb  of  Osiris,  but  even  if  there  were  it 
is  only  reasonable  to  assume  that  the  priestly  authorities 
of  the  day  would  weigh  the  evidence  in  such  an  important 
^  Petrie,  Jioya/  Tombs,  Vol.  I. 


Seti  I  addressing  Osiris  in  his  shrine. 
Marietta,  Abydos,  Vol.  I,  p.  43. 


lo       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

matter  carefully,  and  would  decide  in  accordance  with 
ancient  tradition.  If  we  assume  that  the  identification  of 
the  tomb  of  Khent  as  the  tomb  of  Osiris  is  not  older 
than  the  reign  of  Amen-hetep  III  we  ignore  the  vital 
importance  of  the  grave  of  the  god  to  every  Egyptian, 
and  the  great  antiquity  of  the  cult  of  Osiris  at  Abydos. 
It  is  unlikely  that  Abydos  was  the  original  home  of  the 
worship  of  Osiris,  indeed  there  is  good  reason  for 
thinking  that  it  was  not ;  but  abundant  evidence  exists  to 
show  that  the  town  was  one  of  the  principal  centres  of 
his  cult  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  the  Dynastic 
Period. 

The  official  I-kher-nefert,  having  directed  the 
ceremonies  connected  with  the  burial  of  Osiris,  then 
proceeded  to  carry  out  those  which  were  performed  in 
connection  with  the  avenging  of  the  death  of  Osiris, 
and  says  : — 

"  I  avenged  Un-Nefer  on  the  day  of  the  Great  Battle, 
I  overthrew  all  his  enemies  on  the  dyke  (?)  of  Netit." 

The  scene  in  the  Osiris  play  here  referred  to  repre- 
sented the  great  battle  which  was  waged  by  Horus,  the 
"avenger  of  his  father,"  against  Set  and  his  confederates, 
and  is  often  mentioned  in  the  religious  texts.  In  it 
I-kher-nefert  played  the  part  of  Horus,  and  led  the 
victorious  army  in  the  sham  fight,  which  probably  took 
place  at  dawn,  for  it  is  the  African  custom  to  attack  the 
enemy  at  that  time.  The  foes  of  the  god  were  supposed 
to  be  routed  with  great  slaughter.  The  Book  of  the 
Dead  (Chapter  XVIII)  makes  it  quite  clear  that  in  the 
original  battle  between  Horus  and  Set  large  numbers  of 
the  followers  of  Set  were  slain  on  the  field,  and  larore 
numbers  were  taken  prisoners.  The  prisoners  were 
brought  to  the  tomb  of  Osiris,  where  they  were  beheaded 
and,  perhaps,  hacked  to  pieces,  and  their  blood  was  used 
in  watering  the  sanctuary  of  Osiris  in  his  tomb,  and  the 
ground  round  about  it.  This  is,  clearly,  what  is  meant 
by  the  words,  "On  the  night  of  the  carrying  out  of  the 
sentence  upon  these  who  are  to  die,"  and  "the  night 
of  breaking  and  turning  up  the  earth  in  their  blood," 
and  the  "  Tchatcha  (chiefs),  on  the  festival  of  the 
*'  breaking  and  turning  up  of  the  earth  in  Tattu  (Busiris), 


Shrines,  Miracle  Play,  and  "  Mysteries  "       1 1 

*'  slay  the  fiends  of  Set  in  the  presence  of  the  gods  who 
"  are  therein,  and  their  blood  runneth  about  among  them 
*'  as  they  are  smitten."  Whether  I-kher-nefert  offered  up 
human  sacrifices  or  not  is  not  known,  but  it  is  tolerably 
certain  that  so  careful  a  traditionalist  as  he  shows  himself 
to  have  been  would  not  have  omitted  to  see  that  the 
grave  of  Osiris  was  properly  "watered"  with  human 
blood.  The  victims  would  be  prisoners  of  war  and 
criminals,  who  by  the  laws  of  Egyptian  society  were 
bound  to  die.  They  would  be  sacrificed  so  that  their 
blood  might  gratify  the  great  ancestral  spirit  Osiris,  just 
as  the  criminals  and  prisoners  of  war  are  sacrificed  in 
Dahomey  at  the  Annual  Customs  to  gratify  and  renew 
the  life  of  the  spirits  of  the  king's  ancestors.  The  text 
of  I-kher-nefert  continues  : — 

"  I  caused  him  (i.e.,  Osiris)  to  set  out  in  the  Boat, 
**  which  bore  his  Beauty.  I  made  the  hearts  of  the 
"  dwellers  in  the  East  to  expand  with  joy,  and  I  caused 
"  gladness  to  be  in  the  dwellers  in  Amentet  (the  West), 
"  when  they  saw  the  Beauty  as  it  landed  at  Abydos, 
"  bringing  Osiris  Khenti-Amenti,  the  Lord  of  Abydos, 
"  to  his  palace." 

This  was  the  most  glorious  scene  in  the  Osiris  play, 
for  the  god  appears  once  more  in  the  Neshmet  Boat, 
and  he  returns  to  his  palace  once  more  a  living  god. 
Thanks  to  his  own  divine  power,  and  to  the  ceremonies 
which  Horus  and  his  Four  Sons  had  performed  between 
the  transport  of  the  body  of  Osiris  to  his  tomb  and 
his  re-appearance  in  the  Neshmet  Boat,  and,  thanks 
to  the  eating  of  the  Eye,  which  Horus  had  plucked 
from  his  own  face  and  given  to  him,  and  to  the 
vengeance  which  had  been  wreaked  on  Set  and  his 
fiends,  and  to  the  "  watering "  of  the  tomb  of  Osiris 
with  their  blood,  Osiris  became  once  more  a  living 
being.  The  crowds  who  had  flocked  to  Abydos 
from  the  East  and  the  West  rejoiced  greatly,  for  their 
god  had  come  once  more  to  live  among  them,  and 
in  him  they  saw  the  symbol  of  their  own  resurrec- 
tion and  immortality.  In  describing  the  Osiris  play  at 
Abydos,  I-kher-nefert  dwells  chiefly  upon  the  ceremonies 
in  which  he  played  the  prominent  part,  for  he  assumed 


12       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

that  those  who  read  his  inscription  were  thoroughly 
conversant  with  all  the  details  of  the  Mysteries.  It 
is  quite  clear  from  his  narrative  that  the  performance  of 
the  Mystery  play  of  Osiris  occupied  many  days,  probably 
from  first  to  last  three  or  four  weeks.  The  play  was 
acted  at  Tattu  (Busiris)  with  elaborate  ceremonies,  and 
a  considerable  number  of  human  sacrifices  must  have 
been  offered  up  at  that  place.  Other  towns  in  which 
special  regard  was  paid  to  the  festival  of  Osiris  and  its 
Mysteries  were  Anu  (Heliopolis),  Sekhem  (Letopolis), 
Pe-Tep  (Buto),  Taui-rekhti  (?),  An-rut-f,  and  Re-stau. 

In  connection  with  the  offerino^s  to  Osiris  mention 
must  be  made  of  the  belief,  which  was  common  among 
the  Egyptians,  that  there  existed  at  Abydos  a  means  by 
which  they  might  be  despatched  direct  to  the  Other 
World  for  the  use  of  the  god.  This  means  took  the 
form  of  a  well,  or  cistern,  which  was  fed  in  some  way 
by  the  Abydos    canal,    and   was   called   "  Ha  hetepet," 

[-[j'"^^         (T=^.       Its    waters"    were    mighty   and    most 

terrible,  and  the  well  was  full  of  "great  roarings"; 
the  god  who  guarded  it  was  Qa-ha-hetep,^  and  he 
allowed  none  to  approach  it.  The  ground  about  it 
was  called  the  "region  of  offerings,  the  holy  land,  the 
mountain  of  Amentet."*  The  roarings  or  noises  which 
were  heard  in  the  well  were  caused  by  the  fall  of  the 
offerings  into  it.  The  well  is  mentioned  in  the  Stele 
of  Menthu-hetep^  (Xlth  dynasty),  who  says  that  he 
built  it^  by  the  order  of  Horus,  i.e.,  the  king,  but  it 
is  far  more  likely  that  he  only  cleared  it  out,  and  lined  it 

rn  "iX  ^  r-^^    1.       Pepi    I,    1.   708,    and   see  Aat  VIII, 

Chapter  CXLVIII  of  the  Book  of  the  Dead. 


s 


-\lh\-f;i 


*  Lefebure,  Sphinx,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  92. 

*  Mariette,  Abydos,  Vol.  II,   Plate   23;  Daressy,  Recueil,  Vol.  X, 
pp.  144-149- 


^miT\m\^^ 


Shrines,  Miracle  Play,  and  "Mysteries"       13 

with  stone.  Close  to  this  well  was  the  chamber  which 
contained  the  relic  of  Osiris,  and  this  is,  as  M.  Lef^bure 
pointed  out,  probably  the  tomb  chamber  of  King  Khent, 
which  the  Egyptians  identified  as  the  tomb  of  Osiris. 
It  is  about  28  feet  square,  and  was  surrounded  by  cells, 
which  increased  its  size  to  43  feet  by  38  feet.  At  the 
north-west  corner  of  this  chamber  M.  Amelineau  found 
a  staircase  of  fourteen  steps,  and  the  cenotaph  of  Osiris, 
to  which  reference  has  already  been  made.  The  well, 
or  cistern,  was  either  built  or  repaired  under  the 
Xlth  dynasty,  and  it  was  certainly  in  existence  in  the 
time  of  Strabo,  who  seems  to  connect  it  with  the  "  palace 
of  Memnon."  He  says  that  there  was  a  descent  to  the 
water,  which  was  situated  at  a  great  depth,  through  an 
arched  passage  built  of  single  stones,  of  remarkable 
size  and  workmanship.  A  canal  led  to  the  place  from 
the  Nile,  and  near  it  was  a  grove  of  Egyptian  acanthus 
trees  dedicated  to  Apollo.^ 

The  building  which  Strabo  calls  the  "  palace  of 
Memnon  "  cannot  have  been  the  temple  of  Seti  I,  as 
Mariette  thought,  but  must  have  been  the  temple  of 
Osiris ;  every  large  temple  had  its  well,  and  the 
general  plan  of  the  temple  well,  or  cisterns,  is  known. 
Mariette  devoted  much  time  and  attention  during  his 
excavations  at  Abydos  in  searching  for  the  well  described 
by  Strabo,  but  he  failed  to  find  it,  and  his  successors 
have  been  equally  unsuccessful  in  this  respect.  Professor 
Naville  in  the  course  of  his  excavations  at  Abydos 
( 1 909-11)  discovered  a  large  well,  but  it  can  hardly 
have  been  the  well  described  by  Strabo.  M.  Lefebure 
thought^  that  it  might  have  been  situated  in  the 
tomb  of  Osiris,  and  that  its  mouth  was  under  the 
cenotaph  of  the  god,  but  none  of  the  excavators 
of  the  tomb  mentions  any  trace  of  it.  Still,  it 
must  be  somewhere  in  the  plain  of  Peqer,  or 
Umm  al-Ka'ab,  though  it  is  probably  filled  with  sand. 

The    Uart    \>'^^^^,    or    passage    to    the    well,    the 


Tatchesert  ^^^^'^^'^  ,  or  "holy  ground,"  Peqer,  or  Peka, 

1  Strabo,  XVII,  i,  41. 

2  SpAinx,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  96. 

VOL.  II.  C 


14       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

the  tomb  region,  and  the  "staircase"  of  the  god^  must 
all  be  near  together,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  in  the 
near  future  the  well  may  be  brought  to  light. 

Notwithstanding^  all  the  great  works  which  the 
kings  of  the  Xllth  dynasty  caused  to  be  done  for  Osiris 
at  Abydos,  we  find  that  under  the  XII I th  dynasty  his 
sanctuary  needed  many  repairs.  King  Nefer-hetep  was 
a  loyal  worshipper  of  Osiris,  and  hearing  that  his  temple 
was  in  ruins,  and  that  a  new  statue  of  the  god  was 
required,  he  went  to  the  temple  of  Temu  at  Heliopolis, 
and  consulted  the  books  in  the  library  there,  so  that 
he  might  learn  how  to  make  a  statue  of  Osiris  which 
should  be  like  that  which  had  existed  in  the  beginning  of 
the  world.  Having  obtained  the  information  required, 
he  set  out  for  Abydos,  and  sent  word  to  the  priests  there 
that  the  statue  of  Osiris  should  be  brought  out  to  meet 
him  at  the  place  where  he  was  going  to  land  on  the 
river  bank.  When  he  arrived  he  found  Osiris  and  his 
priests  waiting  for  him,  and  the  king  journeyed  from 
the  Nile  to  the  temple  of  Osiris  at  Abydos,  under 
the  escort  of  the  god  and  his  priests.  As  the  king 
was  going  to  the  temple  a  number  of  the  principal 
scenes  in  the  Mystery  play  of  Osiris  were  performed, 
no  doubt  to  the  great  satisfaction  of  the  actors  and 
spectators.  When  Abydos  was  reached  the  king  caused 
all  the  necessary  works  to  be  taken  in  hand  at  once,  and 
he  superintended  personally  their  execution,  in  order 
that  he  might  be  certain  that  the  directions  which  he 
had  obtained  from  the  books  in  the  Library  at  Heliopolis 
were  correctly  carried  out.  In  the  making  of  the  new 
statue  of  Osiris  the  kingf  assisted  with  his  own  hands.^ 

Whether  the  sanctuary  of  Osiris  at  Abydos  pros- 
pered or  not  under  the  XlVth,  XVth,  XVIth,  and 
XVI I  th  dynasties,  is  not  known,  but  with  the  rise  to 
power  of  the  kings  of  the  XVIIIth  dynasty  it  certainly 
began  a  new  period  of  glory.  Thothmes  I  made  a  new 
statue  of  the  god,  or  repaired  the  old  one,  and  a  shrine- 

^  See  the  Stele  of  Sebek-khu,  who  built  his  tomb  by  the  staircase  of 
the  god,  at  the  Uart,  so  that  he  might  smell  the  incense  burnt  there. — 
Garstang,  El  Arabah,  Plate  4,  1.  8. 

2  See  Mariette,  Abydos,  torn.  II,  Plates  28-30,  and  Breasted,  Egypt^ 
Vol.  I,  p.  333  ff. 


Shrines,  Miracle  Play,  and  "  Mysteries"       15 


boat  of  silver,  gold,  lapis-lazuli,  copper,  and  precious 
stones,  tables  for  offerings,  sistra  of  various  kinds, 
censers  and  bowls,  a  new  barge  in  which  the  god  might 
journey  from  the  temple  to  Peqer  during  the  Miracle 
play,  and  statues  of  all  the  gods  of  Abydos,  each  with 
his  silver-gold  standard.^  Thothmes  III  caused  a  great 
many  restorations  to  be  carried  out  in  the  temple  of 
Osiris,^  and  the  results  of  the  excavations  made  during 
recent  years  at  Abydos  prove  that,  in  the  reigns  of 
Amen-hetep  III  and  the  other  kings  of  the  XVIIIth 
dynasty,  the  income  de- 
rived by  Osiris  from  his 
worshippers  must  have 
been  considerable. 

Hitherto  reference  has 
been  made  only  to  the  two 
chief  shrines  of  Osiris, 
viz.,  Abydos  in  the  South, 
and  Busiris  in  the  North, 
but  since  the  legend  of  the 
scattering  of  the  parts  of 
the  body  of  Osiris  all  over 
Egypt  was  generally  ac- 
cepted, even  in  early  times, 
it  follows  that  many  shrines 
of  the  orod  existed  in  the 
country  at  an  early  period, 
although  of  such  shrines 
there  is  no  list  older  than 
the  XVIIIth  dynasty.  Of  this  period,  however,  we  have 
several  copies  of  a  List  of  the  Forms  and  Shrines  of 
Osiris,  and  from  this  it  seems  that  there  must  have  been 
a  shrine  of  Osiris  in  every  nome  in  Egypt.  The  List 
forms  part  of  the  CXLIInd  Chapter  of  the  Book  of  the 
Dead,^  and  the  oldest  form  of  it  is  probably  that  given 
in  the  Papyrus  of  Nu.  It  follows  a  list*  of  all  the  gods 
whose  names  are  to  be  commemorated  by  a  man  for  his 

1  See  Mariette,  Abydos,  torn.  II,  Plate  31. 

2  Ibid.,  Plate  33. 

3  See  the  Papyrus  of  Nu,  Sheet   15,  and  the  Papyrus  of   luau, 
Plate  IX. 

*  This  list  begins  with  the  name  of  Asar-Khenti-Amenti. 

C   2 


The  Soul  of  Osiris,  incarnate  in  a  Ram,  as 
worshipped  at  Busiris,  Philac,  etc. 


i6       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

father  or  for  his  son   during  the  Festival   of  Amentet, 
and  contains  the  following  : — 

1.  Asar  Un-nefer.      Un-nefer  was  an  ancient  god  of 
Abydos. 

2.  Asar  Ankhti. 

3.  Asar  neb-ankh,  i.e.,  Osiris,  Lord  of  life. 

4.  Asar  neb-er-tcher,  i.e.,  Osiris,  lord  to  the  limit,  or 
the  universal  Lord. 

5.  Asar  Khenti-Peku  (?). 

6.  Asar-Sah,  i.e.,  Osiris  Orion.     The  constellation  of 
Orion  was  one  of  the  abodes  of  Osiris. 

7.  Asar-Saa,  i.e.,  Osiris  the  Protector,  or  Shepherd. 

8.  Asar    Khenti    peru,    i.e.,     Osiris,     Chief    of    the 
Temples.^ 

9.  Asar  in  Resenet,  i.e.,  Osiris   in  the  House  of  the 
South. 

10.  Asar  in  Mehenet,  i.e.,  Osiris  in  the  House  of  the 
North. 

11.  Asar  nub-heh,  i.e..,  Osiris,  golden  one  of  millions 
of  years. 

12.  Asar  bati-Erpit,  i.e.,  Osiris,  double  soul  of  Isis 
and  Nephthys. 

13.  Asar  Ptah-neb-ankh,  i.e.,  Osiris  plus  Ptah,  Lord 
of  life.  *  \  ' 

14.  Asar  Khenti  Re-stau,  i.e.,  Osiris,  Chief  of  the 
Door  of  the  Funeral  Passages,  or,  Osiris,  Chief  of  the 
domain  of  Seker  (Sakkarah),  an  ancient  god  of  Death. 

15.  Asar  her-ab-set,  i.e.,  Osiris,  Dweller  in  the  funeral 
mountain,^ 

16.  Asar  in  Ati  (?).^ 

17.  Asar  in  Sehtet.* 

18.  Asar  in  Netchefet.^ 

^  The  Papyrus  of  luau  gives  Asar  Khenti  Un. 

luau  gives  Asar  in  Sehnen,     1  Q  ''^-'^'^  /ft  . 
3    ^    .        .  .    .     .     ^      .  .       A D 


luau  gives  Asar  in  Busiris,  vX 


4 


luau  gives  Asar  in  Sekri,    V3^  \\ 
^  luau  gives  Asar  in  Sau  (Sais). 


Shrines,  Miracle  Play,  and  "  Mysteries"       17 


21. 

22. 

23- 
24. 


19.  Asar 

20.  Asar 
Asar 
Asar 
Asar 
Asar 

25.  Asar 

26.  Asar 

27.  Asar 

28.  Asar- 

29.  Asar 

30.  Asar 

31.  Asar 
North. 

32.  Asar 
33-  Asar 

34.  Asar 

35.  Asar 

36.  Asar- 
7,7.  Asar, 

38.  Asar 

39.  Asar 

40.  Asar 

41.  Asar, 

42.  Asar 

43.  Asar 

44.  Asar 

45.  Asar 

46.  Asar, 
of  Isis). 

47.  Asar 

48.  Asar 


n  Resu  (Southlands?), 
n  Pe  (Buto). 

n  Netru,  i.e.,  Osiris  in  the  Divine  Lake.^ 
n  Lower  Sau  (Sais). 

n  Baket,  i.e.,  Osiris  in  the  City  of  the  hawk, 
n  Sunnu. 
n  Rehnent. 
n  Aper. 
n  Qeftenu. 
Sekri  in  Pet-she.^ 

Khenti-nut-f,  i.e.,  Osiris,  Chief  in  his  city. 
in  Pesk-re.^ 
in  his  shrines  (or,  seats)  in  the  Land  of  the 

in  heaven.* 

in  his  shrines  in  Re-stau. 

Netchesti. 

Atef-ur. 

Sekri. ^ 

Governor  of  eternity. 
Tua,  i.e.,  the  Begetter, 
in  Ater.^ 
in  his  tiara  and  plumes  (?). 

Lord  of  everlastingness. 
Ati,  i.e.,  the  Prince. 
Taiti. 

in  Re-stau. 
on  his  sand.''' 

Chief  of  the  Chamber  of  the  Cow  (i.e..  Lord 

in  Tanent. 
in  Netbit.^ 


luau  gives  Asar  in  Rehnent, 

2  luau,  in  Pest  of  his  city. 

*  luau  adds,  Asar  in  the  earth. 

^  luau,  Asar  Lord  of  An  (?). 


luau,  Tenit, 


'  luau,  Pesu-re. 

^  luau  omits. 

^  luau,  within  his  sand. 


i8       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 


49.  Asar 

50.  Asar 

51.  Asar 

52.  Asar 

53.  Asar 

54.  Asar 

55.  Asar 

56.  Asar 

57.  Asar 

58.  Asar 

59.  Asar 

60.  Asar 


n  Sati. 

n  Beshu.^ 

n  Tepu. 

n  Upper  Sais. 

n  Nepert. 

n  Shennu. 

n  Henket. 

n  the  Land  of  Sekri. 

n  Shau. 

n  Fat-Heru. 

n  Maati. 

n   Hena.^ 


In  the  Saite  Period  the  Forms  and  Shrines  of  Osiris 
were  1 1 2  in  number  ;  they  will  be  found  tabulated  in  the 
Todtenbuch  of  Lepsius,  Bl.  59. 

Under  the  XlXth  dynasty  the  temple  of  Osiris  was 
restored,  or  rebuilt,  and  a  large  number  of  repairs  were 
carried  out  at  Abydos  in  connection  with  the  property 
of  the  god.  Seti  I  regarded  Osiris  with  great  awe, 
and  spoke  of  him  as  the  god  who  would  destroy  those 
who  declined  to  obey  his  commands.^  The  reverence 
which  Seti  I  personally  showed  to  Osiris  is  well 
illustrated  by  the  sections  of  the  Book  of  Gates  which 
specially  deal  with  the  kingdom  of  Osiris,  appearing  on 
his  alabaster  coffin.  On  this  we  have  the  remarkable 
vignette  of  Osiris  seated  in  judgment  on  the  top  of  his 
staircase,  with  the  Scales  set  before  him,  and  the  boat 
containing  the  black  pig  of  Set,  which  an  ape  is  beating. 
The  further  scenes  which  illustrate  the  kingdom  of  Osiris 
prove  that  Seti  was  a  believer  in  the  doctrine  of  rewards 
for  the  blessed  and  punishments  for  the  wicked,  and  in 
the  existence  of  a  place  where  the  beatified  lived  with 
Osiris.  The  famous  well  of  Osiris  at  Abydos  appears 
in  funerary  literature  copied  during  his  reign,  for  we  see 
Osiris  seated  by  the  side  of  it,  or  over  it,  in  the  Papyrus 

^   luau,  in  Betshet. 


luau,  Nehna, 


ra    1 


3   See    the    text   edited    by  Golenischeff,    in   Recueil,    torn.    XIII, 
Plate  II. 


Shrines,  Miracle  Play,  and  "Mysteries"       19 

of  Hu-nefer,  and  pictures  of  it  appear  in  some  of  the 
Books  of  the  Other  World. 

Rameses  II  was  a  loyal  servant  of  Osiris,  and 
repaired  his  shrines  and  erected  fine  buildings  in  his 
honour.  Rameses  says  in  the  great  inscription  at 
Abydos^  that  he  did  for  Osiris  what  Horus  did  for  his 
father,  that  he  set  up  monuments  to  him,  and  doubled 
the  offerings  to  his  Ka,  and  his  piety  caused  him  to 
restore  some  of  the  royal  tombs  at  Abydos  which  were 
in  ruins.  He  finished  the  temple  begun  by  his  father, 
and  built  close  to  it  a  temple  to  Osiris.  Rameses  III 
restored  Abydos  and  endowed  the  temples  with  great 
possessions,  and  made  a  great  barge  for  the  god,^  Under 
the  rule  of  the  later  kings  of  the  XXth  dynasty  the  cult 
of  Osiris  does  not  seem  to  have  been  specially  considered, 
and  the  priest-kings  of  the  XX  1st  dynasty  devoted  most 
of  their  attention  and  their  possessions  to  the  glorifica- 
tion of  Amen-Ra,  the  "king  of  the  gods,"  at  Thebes. 
Exact  data  are  wanting,  but  it  seems  clear  that  with  the 
end  of  the  XX  1st  dynasty  the  importance  of  Abydos 
began  to  decline,  and  with  it  the  cult  of  Osiris  in  this 
place.  The  first  great  revival  of  the  glory  of  Osiris  at 
Abydos  after  about  900  B.C.,  happened  in  the  reign  of 
Amasis  (XXV I  th  dynasty),  and  it  was  entirely  due  to 
his  chief  physician  Pef-a-nef-Net,  or  Pef-ta-nef-Net.  He 
interested  the  king  in  Abydos,  and  ultimately  obtained 
from  him  the  funds  necessary  for  the  restoration  of  the 
temple  and  the  divine  service.  Much  of  the  work  of 
restoration  he  superintended  personally.  He  built  the 
god's  temple,  provided  a  silver-gold  shrine,  and  imple- 
ments for  service  made  of  gold,  silver,  etc.  He  built 
U-Pek  and  set  up  its  altars,  and  cleaned  out  the  famous 
well  or  cistern,  and  planted  trees  about  it.  He  estab- 
lished a  regular  supply  of  food  for  the  temple,  he  settled 
there  slaves,  male  and  female,  he  endowed  the  temple 
with  1000  stat  of  land  with  its  flocks  and  herds  and 
peasant  dwellers.  He  re-established  the  offerings, 
planted  date  groves  and  vineyards,  restored  the  library, 
and  built  a  sacred  barge.  He  revived  the  Miracle  play 
of  Osiris,  and  took  the   leading  part  in  the  great  scene 

^  Marietta,  Abydos,  torn,  I,  Plates  5-9. 

2  Birch,  Papyrus  of  Rameses  III,  Plate  58,  1.  11. 


20       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

in  which  the  representative  of  Horus  beats  back  the  foes 
of  his  father  Osiris.  He  made  provision  for  burying 
the  people  of  Abydos  by  confiscating  certain  dues,  which 
the  lord  of  the  district  had  been  in  the  habit  of  exacting 
from  the  desert  tribes,  and  the  earnings  of  a  certain 
ferry^  which  the  owner  had  assumed  to  be  his  private 
possession.  Whatever  may  have  happened  to  the  shrine 
of  Osiris  at  Abydos  we  may  be  quite  certain  that  it  did 
not  in  any  way  affect  the  general  progress  of  the  cult  of 
Osiris  in  Egypt.  It  is  probable  that  there  was  a  small 
temple  of  Osiris  attached  to  every  great  temple  in  Egypt, 
and  there  is  good  reason  to  think  that  such  temples  of 
Osiris  were  better  and  more  regularly  served  by  the 
priests  than  the  larger  temples.  Little  by  little  the 
Egyptians  seem  to  have  dropped  the  active  cult  of  the 
other  gods,  Osiris  and  Isis,  or  Hathor,  being  in  the  eyes 
of  the  purely  indigenous  section  of  the  population  of 
more  importance  than  all  the  other  gods  put  together, 
for  they  gave  resurrection  and  immortality  to  those  who 
were  dead,  and  protected  the  lives,  property,  and  fortunes 
of  those  who  were  living. 

1  Breasted,  Egypt,  IV,  p.  517. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

The  Mysteries  of  Osiris  at  Denderah. 

The  walls  of  one  of  the  two  courts  which  form  part  of 
the  temple  of  Osiris  at  Denderah  contain  a  long  inscrip- 
tion^   describing    the    bas-reliefs    which    illustrate    the 


1 

The  model  of  Osiris  which  was  used  in  the  ceremonies  performed  during  the 

celebration  of  his  festival  at  Denderah. 

Mariette,  Denderah,  IV,  38. 


The  model  of  Seker  which  was  used  in  the  ceremonies  performed  during  the 

celebration  of  his  festival  at  Denderah. 

Mariette,  Denderah,  IV,  39. 

mysteries  and  ceremonies  that  were  performed  annually 
in  honour  of  Osiris  in  that  city.  The  First  Section  of 
this  text  deals  with  the  making  of  sixteen  models  of  the 
sixteen  pieces  into  which  the  body  of  Osiris  was  hacked 
by  Set.  Each  model  was  made  of  wheat  mixed  with 
some  specially  prepared  paste,  and  was  sent  to  the  town 

^  See  Brugsch  and  Diimichen,  Recueil,  I,  15,  16,  and  IV,  1-27; 
Diimichen,  Risultats  ;  Mariette,  Dendirah,  torn.  IV,  Plates  35-39 ; 
Lauth,  A.Z.,  1866,  p.  64  ff. ;  Loret,  Recueil,  torn.  Ill,  p.  43  ff. ; 
torn.  IV,  p.  2 1  ff. ;  torn.  V,  p.  85  ff. 


22       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 


in  which  that  member  of  the  body  of  Osiris  was  believed 
to  have  been  found,  and  it  was  there  put  in  a  specially 
prepared  vessel  in  the  "  house  of  Osiris,"  and  placed 
under  the  protection  of  the  gods. 

The  Second  Section  of  the  inscription  deals  with  the 
making  of  the  figure  of  Khenti- Amenti,  and  is  of  peculiar 
interest.  At  Mendes,  a  town  closely  connected  with 
Busiris  and  the  cult  of  Osiris,  one  hin  of  wheat  and  three 
hin  of  paste  were  placed  in  a  large  stone  trough  resting 
on  four  legs,  and  each  day,  from  the  12th  to  the  21st  day 
of  Khoiak,  three  parts  of  a  hin  of  water  were  poured 


Osiris  of  Ant  (Denderah)  on  his  bier,  with  Nephthys  standing  at  the  head,  and  Isis 

at  the  foot. 
Mariette,  Denderah,  IV,  68. 

from  a  gold  goblet  into  the  trough.  On  the  21st  day  the 
contents  of  the  trough  were  taken  out,  and  a  measure  of 
incense  having  been  added  to  it,  the  whole  was  kneaded 
into  the  two  halves  of  a  gold  mould  for  making  the  figure  of 
Khenti- Amenti  wearing  the  White  Crown.  The  contents 
of  the  moulds  were  then  taken  out  and  tied  together  with 
four  papyrus  bands,  and  dried  in  the  sun.  At  the 
eighth  hour  of  the  22nd  day  of  the  month,  the  figure, 
and  figures  of  gods  and  many  lamps,  were  placed 
in  boats,  and  taken  by  water  to  the  tomb  of  the  god,  and 
there  the  figure  of  Khenti-Amenti  was  covered  with 
a  cloth,  and  afterwards  buried. 

At  Abydos,  one  hin  of  wheat  and  four  hin  of  paste 
were  placed   in   the  two  halves  of  a  mould  of  Khenti- 


Mysteries  of  Osiris  at  Denderah 


23 


Amend  on  the  12th  day  of  Khoiak,  and  the  moulds 
were  set  in  a  large  stone  trough,  with  reeds  laid  above 
and  below  them  ;  each  mould  was  covered  with  a  cloth. 
Water  was  poured  on  each  half  of  the  figure  of  the  god, 
morning  and  evening,  and  other  ceremonies  were  per- 
formed in  connection  with  them  until  the  21st  of  Khoiak. 
On  that  day  the  halves  of  the  figure  were  removed 
from  the  moulds,  dry  incense  was  sprinkled  over  them, 
and  they  were  then    tied   together  with  four  bands  of 


Osiris  of  Coptos.     Isis  standa  at  the  head,  and  Horus,  son  of  Isis,  son  of  Osiris  at 

the  foot.     A  crown  and  the  tunic  of  the  god  are  under  the  bier. 

Mariette,  Dendirah,  IV,  68. 

papyrus,  and  set  in  the  sun  to  dry  until  the  25th  day 
of  the  month.  On  that  day  the  figure  was  taken  to  the 
temple  of  Seker  and  laid  there,  and  the  ceremonies  of 
embalmment  continued  from  the  25th  to  the  last  day 
of  the  month,  when  the  figure  was  buried.  The 
ceremonial  of  Abydos  was  repeated  at  all  the  other 
sanctuaries  of  Osiris  in  Egypt. 

The  Third  Section  gives  directions  for  making  a 
figure  of  Seker  in  a  mould,  with  his  crook,  whip,  beard, 
and  uraeus.  The  mould  was  of  gold,  and  a  cast  made 
from  it  was  one  cubit  in  height.  The  paste  of  which 
the  figure  was  made  was  composed  of  earth  from  the 
town   of    Neter,    dates,    incense,    fresh    myrrh,    spices. 


24       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

precious  stones,  and  water.  The  paste  was  made  in  the 
form  of  an  egg,  and  set  in  a  silver  vase  with  sycamore 
leaves  round  it,  and  then  pressed  into  the  mould,  and 
anointed  with  oil,  and  finally  laid  on  the  bed  in  the 
interior  of  the  chamber.  At  Mendes  this  paste  was 
made  on  the  14th  day  of  Khoiak,  and  put  in  the  mould 
on  the  1 6th  ;  on  the  1 9th  the  figure  was  removed  from 
the  mould,  embalmed  on  the  24th,  and  buried  on  the 
last  day  of  the  month.  Memphis,  Sma-Behutet,  Kes, 
and  Ka-kam  observed  the  same  rites. 


Osiris  Khenti-Amenti  of  Thebes  lying  naked  on  his  bier. 
Marietta,  Dendirah,  IV,  68. 

The  Fourth  Section  gives  the  names  of  the  gods 
who  were  enshrined  in  the  temple  of  the  goddess 
Shent. 

The  Fifth  Section  supplies  the  legends  which  were 
cut  on  the  fronts  of  the  moulds  of  Seker,  Khenti-Amenti, 
and  on  the  two  vessels  of  Sep.  The  coffin  of  Osiris 
was  made  of  sycamore  wood  and  bore  a  long  inscription  ; 
it  was  one  cubit  and  two  palms  long,  and  three  palms  and 
three  fingers  broad.  The  coffin  of  Khenti-Amenti  and 
the  coffer  of  the  vessels  of  Sep  were  also  made  of 
sycamore.  The  moulds  for  the  "divine  bread"  were 
made  of  the  wood  of  a  red  tree,  and  cakes  were  made 
from  them  in  the  forms  of  the  sixteen  members  of  Osiris, 
viz.,  his  head,  feet,  bones,  arms,  heart,  intestines,  tongue, 


Mysteries  of  Osiris  at  Denderah 


25 


eye,  fist,  fingers,  body,  back,  ears,  backbone,  ram's  head, 
and  hair.  These  cakes  were  put  in  a  box,  which  was 
placed  in  a  silver  chest,  and  then  set  under  the  head  of 
the  god  for  protection.  The  other  paragraphs  of  this 
Section  deal  minutely  with  the  spices,  precious  stones, 
bandlets,  knot,  the  fourteen  amulets  of  Un-Nefer,^  and 
the  fourteen  tebeh  of  the  mould  of  Seker,  which  were  in 
the  forms  of  the  fourteen  divine  members.  The  Field 
of  Osiris  in  which  the  sacred  grain  was  to  be  sown  was 


Osiris  Khenti-Amenti  of  Per-urt  (Eileithyias).     At  the  foot  is  the  goddess 

Neith,  and  at  the  head  the  goddess  Uatchit. 

Mariette,  Denderah,  IV,  69. 

from  210  to  223  feet  long  ;  one  end  of  it  was  sown  with 
barley,  its  centre  with  dhura,  and  the  other  end  with  flax. 
The  plough  frame  was  made  of  two  kinds  of  wood,  and 
the  ploughshare  of  black  bronze  ;  the  cows  which  pulled 
it  were  black.  The  barley  which  grew  in  the  Field  was 
cut  on  the  20th  day  of  Tobe,  and  was  made  into  sacred 
cakes,  the  dhura  was  also  made  into  cakes,  and  the  linen 
made  from  the  flax  was  used  at  the  festival.  Descriptions 
then  follow  of  the  sacred  casket  made  of  reeds,  the  cow 


^  The  Four  Sons  of  Horus,  4  tets 
2  utchats. 


2  lions,    I   Horus,  1  Thoth, 


26       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

Rement,  the  chamber  which  holds  the  mummy  of  Seker, 
the  sacred  Hnen  chest,  and  the  holy  oil  and  its  com- 
ponents. 

The  thirty-four  boats  with  their  365  lamps  and 
deities  are  next  mentioned,  and  the  names  of  the  gods  of 
the  twenty-nine  other  boats  are  also  given.  The  objects 
next  spoken  of  are  the  sacred  bier  with  silver  wheels  ; 
the  peace  chamber,  in  which  a  man  who  represents  the 
"  lord  of  silence  "  is  seated,  with  one  hand  on  his  mouth, 
and  the  other  on  his  legs  ;  the  shrine  of  stone,  16  cubits 


Osiris  of  the  city  of  Tebt  (Edfu). 
Mariette,  De7iderah,  IV,  69. 

long  and  12  cubits  broad,  with  seven  doors,  and  con- 
taining a  raised  mound  on  which  the  god  in  his  sarco- 
phagus rests  ;  and  the  gilded  wooden  coffer,  with  its 
jackll  on  its  cover,  and  its  sledge  beneath  it.  The 
festival  Un-per  was  celebrated  on  the  i6th  and  24th  of 
the  month  of  Khoiak,  and  on  these  days  the  god  with  his 
jackal  appeared  in  the  courtyard.  The  yoking  of  the  two 
pairs  of  heifers  to  draw  the  funerary  furniture  took  place 
on  the  23rd  day.  The  furniture  consisted  of  two 
obelisks,  four  coffers,  one  for  each  of  the  Four  Sons  of 
Horus,  with  their  four  veils,  one  blue,  one  red,  one 
green,  one  white,  sixteen  vulture  plumes,  four  affixed  to 
each  coffer,  and  behind  came  a  figure  of  the  serpent 
Apep,  holding  a  knife  with  which  to  sever  the  cordage. 
On  the  1 2th  day  of  Khoiak  the  festival  of  Tena  was 


Mysteries  of  Osiris  at  Denderah 


27 


celebrated,  and  on  the  14th  the  most  solemn  festival  of 
Pert  was  observed.  On  the  i6th  the  festival  of  Osiris 
Khenti-Amenti  was  celebrated,  and  on  that  day  the 
transformation  of  the  god  took  place.  On  the  19th  the 
figure  of  Seker  was  taken  from  its  mould,  and  on  that 
day  Horus  saw  his  father.  On  the  21st  the  figure  of 
Osiris  was  taken  from  its  mould  ;  on  the  24th  Osiris  was 
embalmed,  and  on  the  last  day  of  the  month  the  Tet, 

IJ,  was  raised  up,  and   Osiris  was  buried.      For  seven 

days,  from  the  24th  to  the  last  day  of  the  month,  Osiris 
remained  unburied,  and  during  these   days  he  rested  in 


Osiris  Khenti-Amenti  of  Nubia.     Horus  sits  at  the  head  and  Neith  at  the  foot. 
Marietle,  Denddiah,  IV,  69. 

the  branches  of  the  sycamores  of  Mendes.  The  seven 
days  symbolize  the  seven  months  which  he  passed  in  the 
womb  of  his  mother  Nut,  and  the  branches  symbolize  the 
goddess. 

The  Sixth  Section  states  that  the  object  used  at  the 
Tena  festival  was  made  at  each  of  the  sixteen  shrines  of 
Osiris  in  Egypt.  On  the  T2th  of  Khoiak  the  Festival 
of  Ploughing  the  Earth  was  celebrated  in  the  temple  of 
the  goddess  Shentit  in  Mendes.  The  goddess  appeared 
in  the  temple,  and  she  was  stripped  naked.  Some  grain 
was  strewn  on  a  bed  in  the  chamber  of  the  goddess's 
dwelling,  and  then  some  of  it  was  placed  on  a  cloth  and 
moistened  with  water,  and  at  the  sixth  hour  of  the  day 
this  wet  grain  was  placed  in  four  gold  vases  in  four  equal 


28       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

parts.  Two  parts  were  intended  for  the  mould  of  Khent- 
Amenti,  and  two  parts  for  the  trough  of  Sep.  A  number 
of  cakes  (?)  were  then  brought  and  treated  in  the  same 
way.  Next  a  piece  of  linen  was  laid  in  each  half  of  the 
mould  of  Khent-Amenti,  and  it  was  filled  with  the  wet 
wheat  and  the  cake-paste  ;  both  parts  were  then  laid  in 
the  large  trough  and  covered  with  reeds.  The  trough  of 
Sep  was  then  filled  with  the  rest  of  the  wheat  and  cake- 


Osiris  of  Per-Kes  (Cusae). 
Mariette,  Denderah,  IV,  69. 

paste,  and  laid  in  the  larger  trough,  and  water  was  poured 
on  them.  On  the  21st  day  of  Khoiak  the  reeds  which 
were  about  the  halves  of  the  mould  were  removed,  and 
on  the  following  day  the  superfluous  water  was  drained 
off.  The  figures  were  then  removed  from  the  moulds, 
and  tied  together  with  four  papyrus  bands,  and  the  two 
figures  from  the  trough  of  Sep  were  joined  in  a  similar 
manner,  and  then  they  were  escorted  along  the  water  to  the 
tomb  by  34  boats  decorated  with  365  lamps.  The  figure 
of  Khent-Amenti  and  the  figure  from  the  trough  of  Sep, 
which  had  been  made  the  previous  year,  were  then 
brought  from  the  place   where  they  had  been  kept,  and 


Mysteries  of  Osiris  at  Denderah 


29 


oiled,  and  embalmed  on  the  24th  day  of  the  month  of 
Khoiak,  and  put  each  in  a  sycamore-wood  coffin,  and 
buried  in  Re-stau  on  the  last  day  of  the  month. 

The  remaining  paragraphs  describe  the  details  of  the 
final  ceremonies  which  were  performed  for  "Osiris,  Lord 
"  of  Tattu,  Un-nefer,  triumphant,  Khent-Amenti,  Great 
**  God,  Lord  of  Abydos."  The  twelve  magic  spices  and 
the  twenty-four  precious  stones  are  enumerated ;  the 
weaving  and  the  dyeing  of  the  sacred  linen  are  described, 


r 1  0  SI 

O    oT  ^ 


\w;i 


z^ 


of^'^^m 


Osiris  Mer-at-f  of  the  town  of  Hep  (Apis).     Under  the  bier  are  the  seven 

crowns  of  the  god. 

Mariette,  Denderah,  IV,  70. 

and  the  painting  and  decoration  of  the  figure  of  the  god, 
and  the  fixing  of  the  fourteen  amulets  on  it,  and  when 
this  and  much  else  had  been  carefully  performed,  the 
priests  went,  on  the  25th  day  of  Khoiak,  and  "expelled 
"  from  the  tomb  of  the  crod  all  the  words  which  had  been 
"  spoken  there  during  the  ceremonies  the  year  before." 

The  reader  will  have  noted  that  none  of  the  cere- 
monies described  in  the  text  at  Denderah  are  mentioned 
by  the  loyal  official  I-kher-Nefert  in  his  account  of  the 
ceremonies  at  which  he  assisted.  This  is  not  to  be 
wondered  at,  for  he  only  took  the  lead  in  the  great  scenes 
of  the    Mystery    play    of    Osiris    which    were    always 

VOL.  II.  D 


30       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

performed  before  the  people.  The  ceremonies  described 
above  were  all  performed  in  secret  by  the  priests,  partly 
in  the  most  sacred  parts  of  the  temple,  and  partly  in  the 
tomb,  and  the  object  of  them  all  was  to  make  three 
figures  of  the  different  forms  of  Osiris.  From  the  first 
mould  was  made  a  figure  of  Khent- Amenti,  and  from  the 
trough  of  Sep,  a  figure  of  Sep,  which  was  formed  of 
sixteen  distinct  limbs  of  Osiris,  and  from  the  mould  of 
Seker,  a  figure  of  the  finished,  reconstituted  god.  Every 
act  was  symbolic  in  character,  and  represented  some 
ancient  belief  or  tradition.     The  paste,   the   mixture  of 


Osiris  of  Libya  (?)  lying  naked  on  his  bier  which  is  supported  by  the  Four  Sons  of 

Horus.     At  the  head  stands  Isis,  and  at  the  foot  Horus. 

Mariette,  Denderah,  IV,  70. 

wheat  and  water,  the  Qgg,  the  naked  goddess  Shentit,  i.e., 
Isis  in  her  chamber,  the  placing  of  the  paste  on  her  bed, 
the  kneading  of  the  paste  into  the  moulds,  etc.,  represented 
the  great  processes  of  Nature  which  are  set  in  motion 
when  human  beings  are  begotten  and  conceived,  as  well 
as  the  inscrutable  powers  which  preside  over  growth  and 
development.  The  Egyptians  believed  that  the  original 
Osiris  was  re-made  in  the  earth,  and  that  the  pieces  of  his 
body  were  woven  together  a  second  time  through  the 
words  and  ceremonies  of  the  o-ods  whose  effisfies  were 
carried  in  the  thirty-four  boats  during  the  procession  on 
the  water.  And  there  was  not  the  smallest  action  on 
the  part  of  any  member  of  the    band    who   acted    the 


Mysteries  of  Osiris  at  Denderah  31 

Miracle  play  of  Osiris,  and  not  a  sentence  in  the  Liturgy, 
which  did  not  possess  importance  or  vital  significance  to 
the  followers  of  Osiris.  The  ceremonies  performed  at 
Denderah  were  not  new,  on  the  contrary,  they  were  very 
old,  and  there  is  good  reason  to  think  the  priests  of  the 
Ptolemaic  Period  accepted  with  absolute  faith  the 
observances  which  the  Osirian  traditions  imposed  upon 
them,  and  carried  them  out  with  the  most  scrupulous 
care,  even  in  the  smallest  detail. 


Osiris  of  Denderah  lying  on  his  bier  which  is  supported  by  Thoth,  two  goddesses, 
and  an  Ape-god.  The  three  hawks  are  Isis,  Nephthys,  and  Hathor.  At  the  head 
stands  Isis,  and  at  the  foot  Heqet. 

Mariette,  Denderah,  IV,  70. 


We  may  now  consider  the  bas-reliefs  at  Denderah 
which  illustrate  the  Festival  and  Mysteries  of  Osiris.^ 
In  the  First  Chamber  North  we  see  the  fig-ures  of  the 
priests  of  the  shrines  of  Osiris  from  Lower  Egypt 
marching  with  the  king  at  their  head  ;  each  holds  in  his 
hands  the  symbol  of  his  nome,  and  above  his  head  is  his 
official  title  or  designation  (Plates  31,  32).  In  the 
First  Chamber  South  we  also  see  the  figures  of  the 
priests  of  the  shrines  of  Osiris  in  the  South,  or  Upper 
Egypt  (Plates  2,2)^  34)-  Iri  the  same  chamber  is  the  long 
inscription  which  has  already  been  summarized.  It  is 
illustrated  by  a  figure  of  Osiris  Khent-Amenti  (Plate  35), 


1  See  Mariette,  Denderah,  torn.  IV,  Plate  XXXI  ff. 


D   2 


32       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

and  a  representation  of  the  mould  of  Khent-Amenti 
(Plate  38),  and  the  mould  of  Seker  (Plate  39).  On  the 
walls  of  the  Second  Chamber  (Plates  40-43)  is  sculptured 
a  series  of  birds,  each  with  its  characteristic  head,  which 
represent  the  deities  of  the  various  nomes  wherein  shrines 
of  Osiris  were  situated.  These  are  followed  by  figures 
of  the  Eight  Goddesses,  Isis,  Nephthys,  etc.  (Plate  44), 
and  of  the  deities  who  accompany  Osiris  during  the 
twenty-four  hours  of  the  day  and  night  to  protect  him 
against  the  attacks  of  Set,  or   Typhon   (Plates   45-56). 


Seker-Osiris,  Lord  of  Tattu  (Busiris). 
Mariette,  Denderah,  IV,  71. 

Then  come  a  representation  of  the  passage  of  the  sun 
through  the  twelve  hours  of  the  day  (Plate  57),  and  two 
scenes  which  illustrate  ceremonies  performed  in  con- 
nection with  the  renewal  of  the  life  of  Osiris  under  the 
fostering  influences  of  the  goddesses  Isis  and  Nephthys, 
The  resurrection  of  Osiris  is  closely  connected  with  the 
germination  of  wheat ;  the  grain  which  is  put  into  the 
ground  is  the  dead  Osiris,  and  the  grain  which  has 
germinated  is  the  Osiris  who  has  once  again  renewed  his 
life  (Plate  58).  The  remaining  reliefs  in  this  chamber 
represent  the  gods  who  are  charged  with  the  protection 
of  the  tomb  of  Osiris  (Plates  59-63). 

In  the  Third  Chamber  we  have   representations    of 
the  Seven   Boats  of  Osiris,  the    Hennu,   Sektet,    Maat, 


Mysteries  of  Osiris  at  Denderah 


33 


etc.,  which  took  part  in  the  procession  of  Osiris 
(Plates  64,  65),  of  Osiris  as  Harmakhis  in  a  boat,  and 
of  a  form  of  Osiris  as  the  Lord  of  Life.  The  god 
Hes  on  a  bier  under  which  are  placed  his  diadems 
(Plate  65).  The  next  relief  (Third  Chamber  North), 
represents  the  adoration  or  protection  of  Osiris  of  the 
South  and  Osiris  of  the  North  by  I  sis  and  Nephthys  (the 
two  Shenti-goddesses),  and  the  two  Merti,  i.e.,  the  god- 
desses of  the  Inundation  of  the  South  and  North.      In  a 


Seker-Osiris  of  Busiris.     Anubis  is  bringing  unguent  and  linen  to  embalm  him. 
Marietta,  Denderah,  IV,  71. 

lower  scene  we  have  a  figure  of  Osiris  of  the  North  lying 
on  his  bier  in  his  tomb  which  is  placed  close  to  a  tamarisk 
tree  (Plate  66).  Then  come  the  Seven  Boats  of  Osiris 
(Plates  67,  68),  and  these  are  followed  by  repre- 
sentations of  the  funeral  chests  of  Osiris  in  different 
localities.  Thus  we  have  the  biers  of  Osiris  of 
Denderah,  Osiris  of  Coptos,  Osiris  Khent-Amenti  of 
Abydos  (Plate  68),  Osiris  of  Eileithyias,  Osiris  of 
Edfu,  Osiris  of  Ta-sti  (Nubia),  Osiris  of  Cusae  (Plate  69), 
Osiris  of  the  town  of  Apis,  Osiris  revivified,  Osiris  of 
Libya  (.-*),  Osiris  of  Abydos,  Osiris  under  a  form 
worshipped  at  Denderah  (Plate  70),  Osiris  of  Busiris, 
in  three  forms,   Osiris  of  Memphis,  Osiris  of  Heliopolis 


34       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

(Plate  71),  Osiris  of  the  East,  Osiris  of  Behbet,  Osiris 
of  Abydos,  venerated  In  the  town  of  Pehu  of  the  North, 
Osiris  of  Hermopolls  In  Lower  Egypt,  and  Osiris  of 
Bubastis  (Plate  72). 

Southern  Group.  First  Chamber.  Here  the  first 
text  contains  invocations  to  Osiris,  In  all  his  forms  of 
Upper  and  Lower  Egypt,  and  the  bas-relief  represents 
Osiris  Un-Nefer  of  Denderah  lying  on  his  bier,  with 
Isis  at  the  head  and  Nephthys  at  the  foot  (Plate  74). 
The  second  text  Is  that  of  the  "  Book  of  the  Magical 
Protection  of  Horus,"  which  was  composed  for  him  by 
Thoth  ;  its  recital  brought  about  the  destruction  of  all 


Seker-Osiris  of  Busiris  mummified  and  wearing  the  White  Crown. 
Mariette,  Denderah^  IV,  71. 

the  enemies  of  Osiris,  and  grave  to  the  soul  of  the  eod 
the  strength  of  a  bull  In  the  Other  World.  The  bas- 
reliefs  show  us  Osiris,  followed  by  the  four  Meskhenit 
goddesses,  and  a  figure  of  Thoth  (Plate  74).  The  third 
text  contains  Invocations  to  Osiris,  and  the  bas-relief 
represents  Osiris  Un-Nefer,  Lord  of  Busiris,  lying  on 
his  bier  (Plate  75). 

Second  Chamber.  The  fourth  text  contains  directions 
for  the  covering  of  the  biers  of  Osiris,  and  the  placing  of 
the  proper  amulets  on  them  on  the  25  th  day  of  Kholak 
(Plate  ']']\  The  next  group  of  bas-reliefs  contains  a 
series  of  figures  of  the  gods  of  the  Dekans,  and  Planets, 
and  days  of  the  week,  which  stand  ready  to  guard  the 
Sepulchre  of  Osiris  (Plates  78-83).  Following  these 
we  have  the  Twelve  Hour-gods  of  the  day,  and  their 


Mysteries  of  Osiris  at  Denderah 


35 


names  (Plate  84),  the  Hennu  Boat,  and  a  scene  of 
sacrifice  (Plate  85),  and  a  list  of  the  nomes  of  Egypt, 
which  the  king  presents  to  Hathor. 

Third  Chamber.      Here  on  a  tablet  is  given   a   list 

of  the  One   Hundred  and  Four  Amulets  V,,^  ,,  made 

of  gold  and  precious  stones  of  all  kinds  which  were 
taken  to  the  House  of  Gold,  i.e.,  the  sarcophagus 
chamber,     to    protect    this    holy    god    and    the    burial 


Seker-Osiris  of  Memphis  ;  the  goddess  at  the  head  is  Isis.     Osiris-Tet  in  Busiris. 
Mariette,  Dendirah,  IV,  71. 

furniture,     or    wrappings    of   his     mummy    (Plate    87). 
These  amulets  were  : — 

1.  A  breast  plate,  with  figures  of  Osiris  wearing 

the  Atef  Crown,  Isis,  and  Nephthys. 

2.  A  pectoral,  with  straps  for  fastening  over  the 

shoulders, 

3.  A  figure  of  Thoth,  in  the  form  of  a  man  with 

the  head  of  an  ibis. 

4.  The  ibis,  sacred  to  Thoth,  resting  on  his  stand 

5.  The   goddess    Maat,    wearing  the    feather   of 

Truth  and  holding  the  symbol  of  "  life." 

6.  An  Utchat,  or  Eye  of  Horus  or  Ra. 

7.  [Broken.] 

8.  A  beetle,  emblem  of  Khepera. 

All  the  above  were  made  of  uher  stone. 


36       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 


9.  A  beetle,  emblem  of  Khepera. 

10.  A  beetle,  emblem  of  Khepera. 

11.  An  Utchat,  or  Eye  of  Horus  or  Ra. 

These  three  were  made  of  Ted  stone  (read  ij  (^  =  tj  "^  /• 


•  • 


I    "4- 


•   • 


/8^l 

I 

•  •  • 

{  AVV*A 


TV 


n'^w 


.s. 


Iffl 


111^ 

Avwv\\| 

n  r 


The  104  amulets  of  Osiris. 
Marielte,  Dendcrah,  IV,  87. 

12.  A  beetle,  emblem  of  Khepera. 

This  was  made  of  turquoise  or  green  feldspar. 

13.  Uraeus  wearing  the  Crown  of  the  North. 

14.  Uraeus  wearing  the  Crown  of  the  South. 
These  were  made  of  Amen  turquoise  (?)  stone. 


Mysteries  of  Osiris  at  Denderah  37 

15.  A  White  Crown. 

This  was  made  of  Syrian  turquoise  (?). 


The  104  amulets  of  Osiris. 
Mariette,  Denderah,  IV,  87. 

16,  17.  Two  beetles. 

18.  A  seated  figure  of  Isis. 

19.  A  seated  figure  of  Amen. 

20,  21.  Two  hawks,  symbols  of  Horus. 

22.  An  Utchat,  or  Eye  of  Horus  or  Ra. 

23.  A  papyrus  sceptre. 

These  were  made  of  Pert  stone  of  Rutenu. 


38       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

24.  An  Utchat,  or  Eye  of  Horus  or  Ra. 

25.  A  tear  drop  of  the  Utchat  t<s^. 
These  were  made  of or  crystal. 

26.  A  beetle,  emblem  of  Khepera. 

27.  A  figure  of  Thoth. 

28.  A   Tet,   i.e.,  the   sacrum  of  Osiris   set   on    a 

stand. 

29.  A  papyrus  sceptre. 

30.  An  Utchat,  or  Eye  of  Horus  or  Ra. 

These  were  made  of  real  lapis-lazuli  — «*—  J  °  =  ""•*"  J  °- 


Osiris  of  the  town  of  Heliopolis. 
Marietta,  Denderah,  IV,  71. 

31,  32.   Two  figures  of  Thoth,  holding  a  sceptre. 
2,Z'  A  figure  of  Isis  holding  a  sceptre. 

34.  A  figure  of  Nephthys  without  a  sceptre. 

35.  A  seated  figure  of  the  goddess  Neith. 

36.  A  seated  figure  of  the  goddess  Serqet. 
Zl,  38.  Two  Tets. 

39,  40.  Two  beetles. 

41.  A  breastplate,  with  ring. 

42.  A  vessel,  with  cover. 

43.  A  seated  figure  of  Osiris  wearing  the  White 

and  Red  Crowns. 

44.  A  seated  figure  of  the  goddess  Maat. 

45.  A  cartouche. 

46.  An  article  of  apparel. 


Mysteries  of  Osiris  at  Denderah  39 

47.  An  Utchat,  or  Eye  of  Horus,  or  Ra. 

48.  A  seated  figure  of  the  goddess  Maat. 

49.  Three  plaques  (?). 

50.  A  pomegranate. 

51.  A  vessel  (?). 

52.  A  heart. 

53,  54.   Two  hawks,  symbols  of  Horus. 

These   were    made    in   fine    white    "  living " 
alabaster. 


Osiris,  Isis,  and  Nephthys  of  the  town  of  Hebit  (Behbit).     Above  is  a  hawk 

bringing  air. 

Marietta,  Denderah^  IV,  72. 


55.  A  pair  of  plumbing  instruments. 

56.  A  pair  of  angles. 

57.  A  pair  of  stands  (?). 

58.  A  pair  of  beetles. 

59.  A  fruit  (?). 

60.  A  seated  figure  of  a  goddess,  with  a  disk  on 

her  head. 

61.  An  Utchat,  or  Eye  of  Horus  or  Ra. 

62.  A  pair  of  Utchats,  the  Eyes  of  the  Sun  and 

Moon. 
63,  64.  Two  uraei. 

65.  A  hawk,  symbol  of  Horus. 

These  were  made  of  qa  stone. 


40       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

66.  A  sistrum. 

67.  A  pair  of  plumes. 

68.  Right  Utchat. 

69.  Left  Utchat. 
Two  instruments  with  plumes  and  uraei. 
A  beetle,  symbol  of  Khepera. 
A  pomegranate. 
A  vessel,  with  cover  (i*). 


70,71. 
72. 

74. 
75. 


These  were  made  of  carnelian. 


The  soul  of  Osiris  Osiris  of  Hermopolis  of  Lower  Egypt  rising  from  his  bier 

on  the  Erica  tree.  at  the  command  of  Horus. 

Mariette,  Denderah,  IV,  72. 

,   o    /;)\  fVases  for  milk,  or  unguents  (?). 
'   ~  '  ^■''[Perfume  vases. 

88.  A  pair  of  plumes. 

These  were  made  of  turquoise. 

89.  A  milk  vessel  (?). 

90.  A  beetle,  emblem  of  Khepera. 

These  were  made  of  behet  stone. 
91-93.  Three  plaques  (?). 
94-96.  Three  knives  made  of  black  stone. 

97.  A  pair  of  plumes. 

98.  An  object. 

These  were  made  of  khenem  stone. 


Mysteries  of  Osiris  at  Denderah  41 

99,100.  Two  amulets  of  Isis  (?). 
loi,  102.  Two  bulls. 
103,  104.  Two  Utchats. 

Following  these  we  have  a  group  of  the  Sepulchres 
of  Osiris,  which  may  be  briefly  described  : — 

I.  Osiris  of  Busiris,  or  Osiris  Tet,    fl  1  ^^^UM^• 
^(-  The  god  standing  upright,  with   Horus,  son   of  Isis, 
holding  his  right  arm.      Isis  and  Nephthys  stand   before 


lioK^milt 


oCA 


Osiris  Un-nefer  of  Neter-het  (Bubastis). 
Marietta,  Denderah,  IV,  72. 

him.  Outside,  at  one  end,  is  an  ape,  symbolic  of  the 
Four  Sons  of  Horus,  and  at  the  other  the  goddess  Shentit 
is  seated. 

2.  An  Osiris  unnamed. 

The  god  lying  on  his  stomach  on  his  bier.  Horus 
his  son  driving  a  spear  into  his  face,  to  open  his  mouth 
and  his  two  eyes.  Isis  at  the  head,  Nephthys  at  the 
foot.      Beneath  the  bier  is  a  row  of  diadems. 

3.  Osiris  Khenti-Amenti. 

Osiris,  lying  on  his  bier  in  the  act  of  begetting  Horus 
by  Isis,  who  is  in  the  form  of  a  hawk  ;  behind  comes 
Nephthys  in  a  similar  form.  At  the  head  kneels  Hathor, 
and   at   the    foot    the    Frog-goddess    Heqet    is    seated. 


42       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

Beneath    the    bier    are    Thoth,     two   uraei,     and     Bes. 
Behind  Hathor  stand  four  forms  of  Osiris. 


of 


Osiris  Hemka  begetting  a  son  by  Isis,  who  hovers  over  him  in  the  form  of  a  hawk, 

Anubis,  Horus,  Nephthys  and  Shentit  are  present. 

Mariette,  Dendirah^  IV,  90. 


cdl  ^  M 


Osiris-Seker,  Lord  of  the  Shrine  of  Abydos. 
Mariette,  Denderah,  IV,  90. 


(3   a 


4.  Seker  Osiris  in  Tattu  (Busiris),  ^^^^-^  |  J]  o  |  T ' 

The   god   lying   on    his    bier.     At  the    head    stands 
Nephthys  and  at  the  foot  Isis. 


Mysteries  of  Osiris  at  Denderah  43 

5.  Osiris  in  the  embalmment  chamber  being  operated 
upon  by  Anubis  and  Heqet,  according  to  instructions 
given  by  Thoth.  I  sis  and  Nephthys  sit  on  the  ground 
weeping. 

6.  Ptah-Seker-Asar  lying  on  his  bier. 

7.  Seker-Asar  lying  on  his  bier,  by  which  stand  Isis 
and  Nephthys.  Facing  its  head  are  three  of  the  forms 
of  Osiris. 


The  resurrection  of  Osiris  Khenti-Amenti. 
Marietta,  Dendirah,  IV,  90. 

8.  Osiris   Hemaka,   jl'l  \  z'J^jJ^'  in  the  form  of 

an  unmummied  man  lying  on  a  bier,  by  the  foot  of 
which  stands  Anubis.  Nephthys  kneels  at  the  head, 
and  Isis  at  the  foot.  Above  the  member  of  the  god 
hovers  Isis  in  the  form  of  a  hawk. 

9.  Asar-Seker  of  Abydos  kneeling  in  a  kind  of  boat 
which  is  resting  on  a  sledge. 

10.  Osiris  rising  revivified  out  of  a  kind  of  bowl  which 
stands  on  a  plinth  between  the  outspread  wings  of  Isis. 

11.  Osiris    Khent-Amenti,    risinof   revivified   from    his 
1  •  .       .  .  • 

bier,  beneath  which  is  placed  a  series  of  his  crowns. 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

The  Book  of  Making  the  Spirit  of  Osiris/  or 
THE  Spirit  Burial. 

The  formula  for  making  the  spirit  of  Osiris^  in 
Akertet,  which  shall  be  made  {i.e.,  recited)  for 
THIS  GOD,  the  Lord  of  Abydos,  at  every  festival  of 
Osiris,  and  at  every  appearance  [of  the  god]  in  the 
temples  ....  It  shall  make  glorious  his  soul,  it 
shall  stablish  his  body,  it  shall  make  his  soul  to 
shine  in  the  sky,  and  shall  make  him  to  renew  his 
youth  each  month,  it  shall  stablish  his  son  Horus 
UPON  his  coffer.  This  formula  was  recited  by  the 
sister  [of  the  god].  It  will  benefit  a  man  if  he 
reciteth  it,  for  he  shall  become  a  favoured  one  of 
Osiris   upon    earth   among   the   living  ;    his   son  (?) 

SHALL  BE  established  IN  HIS  HOUSE  EVERY  DAY,  AND  HIS 
CHILDREN      UPON      THE      [eARTH].  ThIS      FORMULA      WAS 

RECITED  BY  IsiS  AND  HER  SISTER  NePHTHYS,  AND  ALSO 
BY      HER      SON      HoRUS.  AnD     IF     IT     BE     RECITED     FOR 

OSIRIS,    IT    WILL    CAUSE    THE    SOUL    OF     THE     DECEASED    TO 

LIVE    IN    Akertet    every    day,  it   will   gladden    his 

HEART,  AND  WILL  OVERTHROW  ALL  HIS  ENEMIES  ;  AND  IT 
SHALL  BE  RECITED  DURING  THE  IVtH  MONTH  OF  THE 
SEASON      AkHET,^      from      THE      XXI I ND      DAY       TO       THE 

XXV I TH  DAY  THEREOF.  [Here  follow  the  commemora- 
tive sentences.] 

Come  to  thy  house,  come  to  thy  house,  O  An, 
Come  to  thy  house,  O  Beautiful  Bull,  the  Lord  of  men 
and  women,  the  beloved  one,  the  lord  of  women.  O 
Beautiful  Face,  Chief  of  Akertet,  Prince,  First  of  those 
who  are  in  the  Other  World,  are  not  [all]  hearts  drunk 

through  love  of  thee  fO  Un-neferJ  triumphant?  .... 

1  From  a  papyrus  at  Paris,  a  portion  of  which  has  been  edited  by 
Pierret  {Et.  Egyptologiques,  1873),  ^"d  see  Brugsch,  Religion,  p,  626  ff. 

2  Or,  commemorating  Osiris. 
^  Choiak. 


Spirit  Burial  of  Osiris 


45 


The  hands  of  men  and  gods  are  lifted  on  high 
seeking  for  thee,  even  as  those  of  a  child  [are  stretched 
out]  after  his  mother.  Come  thou  to  them,  for  their 
hearts  are  sad,  and  make  them  to  appear  as  beings  who 
rejoice.  The  lands  of  Horus^  exult,  the  domains  of  Set 
are  overthrown  through  fear  of  thee. 

Hail,  Osiris,  First  of  those  who  are  in  the  Other 
World !  I  am  thy  sister  I  sis.  No  god  hath  done  [for 
thee]  what  I  have  done,  and  no  goddess.  I  made  a 
man  child,  though  I  was  a  woman,  because  of  my  desire 


Isis  and  Nephthys  bewailing  the  death  of  Osiris. 
From  a  bas-relief  at  Philae. 

to  make  thy  name  to  live  upon  the  earth.  Thy  divine 
essence  was  in  my  body  ;  I  placed  him  on  the  back  of 
the  earth  {i.e,,  brought  him  forth).  He  pleaded  thy 
case,  he  healed  thy  suffering,  he  decreed  the  destruction 
of  him  that  had  caused  it.  Set  hath  fallen  before  his 
sword  (or,  knife),  and  the  Smamiu  fiends  of  Set  have 
followed  him.  The  throne  of  Keb  is  to  thee,  O  thou 
who  art  his  beloved  son  ! 

Hail,  Seker-Osiris  !  This  calamity  happened  to  thee 
in  the  primeval  time.  There  have  been  made  for  thee 
mighty  chambers  in  Tettu  (Busiris).  The  god  Utekh^ 
embalmed  thee  and  made  sweet  the  smell  of  thee.     The 


^  I.e.,  the  temple  estates. 
VOL.  II. 


_|^    ®    ^' 


46       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

god  Anpu  (Anubis)  toiled  for  thee  in  the  place  of 
purification,  and  performed  all  the  things  which  he  had 
to  perform.  I  and  my  sister  Nephthys  kindled  a  lamp 
at  the  door  of  the  urit  chamber,  so  that  [we]  might 
snare  in  a  net  Set  like  a  goose.  Anubis  came  forth 
from  the  place  of  purification  and  overthrew  all  thine 
enemies.  The  mourners,  male  and  female,  made  for 
thee  their  lamentations.  Horus  hath  overthrown  the 
Sebau  fiends,  and  hath  cast  fetters  about  Set.  The 
gods  stand  up  and  utter  groans  by  reason  of  the  great 


Osiris,  king  of  the  gods,  Lord  of  life,  Osiris  smelling  a  flower  presented  by  Horus. 
Under  the  bier  are  the  four  crowns  of  the  god. 
Mariette,  Detidcrah,  IV,  65. 

calamity  which  hath  happened  to  thee,  and  they  send 
forth  their  loud  cries  unto  heaven.  Those  who  dwell  in 
the  horizon  hear  the  goddess  making  lamentation  over 
the  motionless  one,  they  see  what  that  accursed  one  hath 
done  unto  thee. 

Thoth  standeth  at  the  door  of  the  pure  chamber  in 
order  to  recite  his  formulae  which  shall  give  life  to  the 
soul  each  day.  The  Ploughing  of  the  Earth^  hath  been 
performed  for  thee  on  the  XXV I th  day  of  the  fourth 
month  of  the  season  Akhet.  Thou  comest  forth  in  the 
Tuat.  The  Sons  of  Horus  are  with  thee.  Horus  is 
before  thee  [with]   the  rope  in  his  hands.      The  divine- 

1  I.e.,  the  sacrifice  of  human  beings  whose  blood  was  used  to 
moisten  the  earth. 


spirit  Burial  of  Osiris 


47 


father  priests  and  the  servants  of  the  god  prepare  thy 
two  ways  (?)  in  the  pure  [chamber].  Thy  mouth  is 
opened  by  the  "  Book  of  Opening  the  Mouth."  The 
Kher-heb  priest  and  the  chief  of  the  libationer  priests, 
with  their  books  of  making  [the  soul]  to  live  in  their 
hands,  recite  the  formulae  over  thee.  The  Setem  priest 
hath  opened  thy  mouth,  Seker  in  the  Hennu-Boat  hath 
triumphed,  thine  enemies  are  overthrown. 

Hail,    Osiris  Khenti-Amentiu,    come    to    thy  sister, 

OfUn-neferl  triumphant,  come  to  thy  wife  ! 


Osiris  on  his  bier  under  which  are  the  vases  containing  his  intestines. 
Mariette,  Denderah,  IV,  70. 


Hail,  Osiris  Khenti-Amentiu,  the  gods  and  the 
goddesses,  with  their  heads  on  their  knees,  await  thy 
coming  to  them  ;  men  with  outcry  and  shouting  call  out : 
"  O  thou  who  art  invisible,  come  to  us."  O  Soul, 
perfect  to  all  eternity,  thy  members  are  in  a  state  of  well- 
being,  thy  sufferings  are  relieved,  every  evil  thing  [in 
thee]  is  done  away.  Thy  limbs  are  rejoined,  thou  art 
protected,  thou  hast  no  defect  ;  thy  limbs  are  rejoined, 
and  not  a  member  of  thine  is  wanting. 

1.  Hail,  Osiris  Khenti-Amentiu!  O  Form,  thou 
hast  thy  head,  O  god  of  the  lifted  hand,  [thy]  crown  and 
thy  hair  are  [made  of]  genuine  lapis-lazuli. 

2.  Hail,  Osiris  Khenti-Amentiu !  O  Form,  thou  hast 
thy  two  eyes,  thou  seest  with  them  ;  the  Maati  goddesses 
love  to  protect  thee. 

3.  Hail,    Osiris    Khenti-Amentiu !      O    Form,    thou 

E  2 


48       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 


hast  thine  ears,  wherewith  thou  shalt  hear  prayers  for 
milHons  of  years. 

4.  Hail,  Osiris  Khenti-Amentiu !  O  Form,  thou 
hast  thy  nose,  thy  nostrils  snuff  the  breezes. 

5.  Hail,  Osiris  Khenti-Amentiu!  O  Form,  thou  hast 
thy  mouth  ;  thou  speakest  therewith  ;  Horus  has  pressed 
for  thee  thy  mouth. 

6.  Hail,  Osiris  Khenti-Amentiu !  O  Form,  thy 
jaw-bones  are  on  thee,  firmly  fixed. 


Anubis  anointing  the  mummy  of  Osiris  with  Isis  giving  directions. 
Mariette,  Dendirah,  IV,  70. 

7.  Hail,  Osiris  Khenti-Amentiu !  O  Form,  thy 
beard  [is  made  of]  crystal  which  emitteth  rays  of  light. 

8.  Hail,  Osiris  Khenti-Amentiu  !  O  Form,  thy  lips 
are  of  flint  and  thy  teeth  are  turquoises. 

9.  Hail,  Osiris  Khenti-Amentiu!  O  Form,  thy 
tongue  is  the  pilot  of  the  Two  Lands,  it  licketh  up  thine 
enemies. 

10.  Hail,  Osiris  Khenti-Amentiu!  O  Form,  thy 
body  is  of  natron,  it  perisheth  not. 

11.  Hail,  Osiris  Khenti-Amentiu!  O  Form,  thy 
neck  beareth  ornaments  and  amulets  which  reach  to  thy 
throat. 

12.  Hail,  Osiris  Khenti-Amentiu!  O  Form,  thy 
hands  are  firm  on  the  stafl",  which  is  stable  in  thy 
abodes  (?). 


Spirit  Burial  of  Osiris 


49 


13.  Hail,  Osiris  Khenti-Amentiu !  O  Form,  thy 
sinews  (?)  and  thy  vertebrae  (or,  joints)  are  stablished 
firmly. 

14.  Hail,  Osiris  Khenti-Amentiu!  O  Form,  thy 
belly,  thy  secret  place,  hideth  that  which  is  in  it. 

15.  Hail,  Osiris  Khenti-Amentiu!  O  Form,  thy  two 
shoulders  are  stablished  firmly  on  thy  back. 

16.  Hail,  Osiris  Khenti-Amentiu!  O  Form,  thou 
hast  thy  member  and  thy  genitals  that  thou  mayest 
copulate. 


The  bier  and  coffer  of  Fenth-f-ankh  Khenti  Abti. 
Mariette,  Dendirah,  IV,  72. 

17.  Hail,  Osiris  Khenti-Amentiu  I  O  Form,  thou 
hast  thy  backbone  and  thy  buttocks,  thou  sittest  upon 
the  throne  every  day. 

18.  Hail,  Osiris  Khenti-Amentiu!  O  Form,  the 
soles  of  thy  feet  are  on  the  earth,  the  Avater  flood 
appeareth  with  them,  O  Osiris  Khenti-Amentiu ! 

Hail,  Osiris  Khenti-Amentiu!  Isis  and  Nephthys 
say  : — 

"  Thou  hast  received  thy  head,  thou  hast  united  in 
"  thy  embrace  thy  flesh,  thy  limbs  thou  hast  brought 
"  unto  thyself,  thou  hast  gathered  together  thy  members, 
**  and  they  have  come  into  thy  mummified  form.     Thou 


50       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

"  hast  become  like  the  god  Sebeq,  the  Lord  of  the  dead 
"  body. 

"  Hail,  Osiris  Khenti-Amentiu  !  There  is  health  in 
"  thy  members,  thy  wounds  are  done  away,  thy  suffering 
"  is  relieved,  thy  groaning  shall  never  return.  Come  to 
"  us  the  sisters,  come  to  us  ;  [our]  hearts  will  live  when 
"  thou  comest.  Men  shall  cry  out  to  thee,  women  weep 
"  for  thee  with  gladness  at  thy  coming  to  them.  [The 
"  Two  Lands]  shall  not  lack  thy  name,  and  thou  shalt  be 
"  stablished  in  the  nomes  of  the  gods  for  ever. 


A  local  form  of  Osiris  of  Abydos,  worshipped  in  Pehu. 
Mariette,  Denderah,  IV,  72. 


"  Hail,  Osiris  Khenti-Amentiu  !  Rise  up,  rise  up ! 
Be  thou  not  motionless.  Thy  son  Horus  over- 
throweth  thine  enemies.  Rise  thou  up  into  heaven, 
unite  thyself  to  Ra.  The  mariners  of  the  divine  boat 
ascribe  praises  unto  thee.  The  mouths  of  the  gods  of 
the  horizon  utter  glad  words.  Throats  follow  thee. 
Thy  love  is  in  their  hearts,  thy  terror  is  in  their 
breasts,  when  thou  enterest  into  the  Utchau,  and 
unitest  thyself  thereto.  Those  who  are  on  the  earth 
and  [those  who  are]  in  the  Tuat  flourish  .  .  .  Moon. 
O  Bull,  who  renewest  youth  in  the  sky  each  day, 
creator  of  .  .  .  and  the  Great  Company  of  the  Gods. 
The  Utchat  goddess  .  .  .  filling  of  the  mouth.  .  .  . 
At  [thy]  entrance  into  the  Utchat  the  Sekhem  (i.e., 


Spirit  Burial  of  Osiris 


51 


Power)  of  Osiris,  that  is  to  say,  Thoth,  cometh  into 
being.  When  thou  risest  in  the  sky  calamity 
departeth,  and  when  thou  art  seen  in  the  sky  on  this 
day  bulls  fecundate  the  cows  and  very  many  concep- 
tions take  place. 

"  Hail,  Osiris  Khenti-Amentiu !  Thou  becomest  a 
child  in  the  horizon  of  heaven  each  day,  and  thou 
becomest  old  at  every  one  of  thy  periods.  Hap  (the 
Nile)  appeareth  by  the  command  of  thy  mouth,  making 
men  and  women  to  live  on  the  effluxes  which  come 
from  thy  members,  making  every  field  to  flourish.  At 
thy  coming  that  which  is  motionless  groweth,  and  the 
green  plants  of  the  marsh  put  forth  blossoms. 


Isis  and  Nephthys  providing  Osiris  with  air. 
Marietta,  Denderah,  IV,  75. 


"  Hail.  Osiris  Khenti-Amentiu  !  Thou  art  the  Lord 
of  millions  of  years,  the  lifter  up  of  the  wild  animals, 
the  Lord  of  cattle ;  every  created  thing  hath  its 
existence  from  thee.  To  thee  belongeth  what  is  in 
the  earth,  to  thee  belongeth  what  is  in  the  heavens, 
to  thee  belongeth  what  is  in  the  waters,  to  thee 
belongeth  whatsoever  is  in  them  in  thy  name  of  '  Hap.' 
Hail  to  thee,  in  thy  name  of  *  Inert  one,  chief  of 
Het-urit.'  Thou  art  the  Lord  of  Truth,  the  hater  of 
sinners,  who  makest  them  to  be  overthrown  in  [their] 
sins.  The  two  Maati  goddesses  are  with  thee,  on  no 
day  do  they  depart  from  thee.  Sins  (or,  sinners) 
cannot  draw  nigh  unto  thee  in  any  place  wherein  thou 
art.  To  thee  belongeth  whatsoever  appertaineth  to 
life  [and  to]  death.  To  thee  belongeth  whatsoever 
appertaineth  to  men  [and  to]  women. 


52       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

"  Hail,  Osiris  Khenti-Amentiu !  The  mourners 
"  weep,  both  men  and  women,  and  they  lament.  The 
"  magical  fluid  of  thy  bier  protecteth  thee  at  [all] 
"  seasons,  thy  members  are  guarded.  All  thine  enemies 
*'  are  overthrown.  Thy  throne  is  stablished  firmly  each 
"  day  like  the  throne  of  Ra,  with  mighty  sovereignty, 
"  by  his  ruling  to  his  son's  son.  Shu  and  Tefnut  were 
"  with  him  in  primeval  time." 

"  Shu  saith  :  '  O  son  of  a  son,  I  am  thy  son.  Thou 
"  renewest  thy  youth  at  the  word  (or,  voice),  it  is  I  who 


Seker-Osiris  in  his  funerary  coffer. 
Mariette,  Denderah,  IV,  89. 


give  air  to  the  throat  which  is  closed,  and  from  it 
proceedeth  life  to  the  throat.  Thou  art  Sovereign 
among  the  gods,  the  Prince  at  the  head  of  the  Com- 
pany of  the  Gods.' 

"  Tefnut  saith  :  'There  is  not  to  thee  thy  mother 
who  conceived  by  her  father,  on  the  day  .  .  .  giving 
birth  [to  thee]  with  gladness.  [  made  the  form  of  the 
dmit  fire  to  overthrow  all  thine  enemies.  Likewise 
all  the  .  .  .  which  I  made  for  my  father  Ra  in 
primeval  time  I  have  made  for  Osiris  Khenti-Amentiu, 
in  order  to  create  his  form  anew,  I  am  the  mother  of 
thy  mother,  I  am  {.'*)  thy  eldest  daughter ;  thou  art 
[my]  Sekhem.'  "  (?) 


spirit  Burial  of  Osiris 


53 


Men  and  women  sing  hymns  of  praise  [when]  thou 
risest  on  us  at  the  season  of  thy  departure.  The  beings 
of  the  South  and  the  beings  of  the  North  must  not  be 
without  a  sight  of  thee.  The  beings  of  the  West  and 
the  beings  of  the  East  are  settled  in  the  fear  of  thee, 
and  they  [bear  tribute]  on  their  heads  each  day.  They 
shall  never  separate  from  thy  Majesty  by  reason  of  their 
desire  to  see  thee. 

Hail,  Osiris  Khenti-Amentiu !  Come  to  me  ;  I  am 
thy    sister    I  sis.     Rise   up,    rise    up,    come    at    my  call. 


Seker-Osiris  of  Busiris. 
Mariette,  Denderah,  IV,  89. 


Hearken  thou  to  the  recital  of  the  things  which  I  have 
done  for  thee,  which  I  have  done  for  thee  [and]  thy 
name  in  all  the  nomes,  and  in  every  domain,  and  how 
they  hold  thee  in  fear.  They  cry  out  unto  thee  at  the 
time  of  thy  departure.  [Their]  hearts  are  not  wearied 
because  of  [their]  love  for  thee.  Be  not  afar  off,  come 
thou  to  us. 

Hail,  Osiris  Khenti-Amentiu !  Thy  mother  Nut 
gave  birth  to  thee  in  Thebes,  and  thou  didst  become  a 
young  man.  As  soon  as  thou  didst  rise  on  the  earth  as 
a  child  there  was  a  shout  of  joy,  and  Ra  heard  it  in  his 
abode  (?)  in  the  Land  of  the  North  ;  hearts  rejoice  at 
thy  birth.  Thou  arrivest  at  Het-sutenit^  on  the  night  of 
the  twentieth  day  of  the  month,  and  the  fifteenth  day  of 

1  Xois. 


54       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

the  moon  [i.e.,  at  full  moon).  Ra  saw  thee,  thy  love 
entered  into  his  heart  in  this  royal  seat.  He  gave  to 
thee  the  throne  of  thy  father  Keb.  Thou  art  his  son 
whom  he  loveth.  Thou  enterest  into  the  temple,  into 
thy  hidden  abode,  in  Het-Benben.^  The  gods  in  Aat- 
tcha-Mut^  rejoice  at  the  sight  of  thee.  The  city  of 
Memphis^  is  with  thee  every  day,  and  thou  livest 
there  in  the  form  of  Atem-Khepera,  the  Prince  in  Anu 
(Heliopolis).  Abydos  is  thy  city  in  the  Land  of  the 
South  ;  thou  art  there  in  it  every  day  in  the  form  of 
Osiris  Khenti-Amentiu,  the  Great  God,  the  Lord  of 
Abydos.     Isis  stops  the  paths  before  that  Evil  One  at 


Horus  opening  the  mouth  and  two  eyes  of  Oshis  with  a  spear, 
Mariette,  Denderah,  IV,  88. 

Abydos,  thy  son  Horus  overthroweth  thine  enemies 
every  day.  Thou  renewest  thy  youth  in  Tettu  (Busiris). 
The  goddess  Nebt-hetep  protecteth  thee,  the  goddess 
Shenat  keepeth  off  the  fiend  Set.  The  Temple  Anti  [is 
full  of]  loud  acclamations,  and  Re-stau  [is  full  of] 
splendour. 

The  god  Khnemu  protecteth  thee  in  Metchet 
(Elephantine).  He  poureth  out  for  thee  water  in  the 
Hetep  Chamber  in  the  Metchet  temple,  appearing  in  it 
anew,  appearing  from  thee.  The  city  of  Behutet 
(Apollinopolis)  is  stablished  under  thy  name,  Horus 
overthroweth  Set.  The  city  of  Horus  of  the  West 
(Asphynis)  rejoiceth  at  the  sight  of  thee.     The  temple  of 

^  The  House  of  the  Obelisk,  i.e.,  HeUopolis. 
2  Pasemis. 
2  Res-aneb-f. 


Spirit  Burial  of  Osiris 


55 


Aptet  (Ombos)  hath  joy  of  heart.  The  Spirits  who 
dwell  in  Nekhent  cry  out  with  joy.  The  goddess 
Nekhebit  protecteth  thee  in  Nekhebet  (Eileithyiaspolis). 
Splendid  is  thy  rising  up  as  the  Lord  of  the  South  and 
North. 1  ^  She  is  like  a  vulture  in  effecting  thy  protection, 
and  she  is  like  an  uraeus  serpent  stablished  on  thy  head  ; 
she  maketh  thee  to  rise  like  Ra  every  day.  Offerings 
[to  thee],  with  joy,  with  joy  ! 

The  god  An  purifieth  thee  in  Het-sekhemu  (Diospolis 
Parva).     Isis  protecteth  thee  in  Denderah  (?),  Nifu-urt^ 


Osiris  Tet  of  Busiris. 
Marietta,  Denderah,  IV,  88. 

rejoiceth  because  of  thee,  thou  art  on  the  roads  which  are 
in  it.  The  Two  Companies  of  the  Gods  exalt  thee  high 
on  thy  standard.  The  gods  look  upon  the  two  Merti  (?) 
goddesses  who  are  before  thee,  thy  two  Uatchti 
goddesses  are  in  thy  following,  thou  art  never  deprived 
of  them.  The  city  of  Shena-hennu  rejoiceth  at  the  sight  of 
thee.  Those  who  are  in  the  East  rejoice  at  thy  Ka  (i.e., 
double),  and  the  cities  of  Apu(?)  and  Khent-Menu  utter 
many  loud  cries  of  joy.  Hathor  protecteth  thee  in 
Hierakonpolis,  thou  livest  in  Shaas-hetep  (Hypselis). 

Thou  buildest  up  men  and  women,  thou  art  the  guide 
of  the  gods  in  thy  name  of  Khnemu.  Thy  members  are 
gathered  together  in  Het-Ertuu,  and  the  gods  who  dwell 


A  district  of  Abydos. 


56       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

therein  overthrow  thine  enemies.  The  god  Thoth  reciteth 
the  Book  of  making  the  Spirit  for  thee  in  Khemenu 
(HermopoHs),  and  the  Eight  Gods  of  Hermopolis  ascribe 
to  thee  praises  as  they  did  for  thy  father  Ra.  The  gods 
of  the  city  of  Hesert  rejoice  in  thee  from  the  time  thou 
enterest  till  thou  departest.  Hensu  (Herakleopolis) 
adoreth  thy  Souls,  and  An-aarrut-f  is  under  thee  every 
day.  Mer-ur  (Moeris)  rejoiceth,  Smen-Heru  (Ptolemais) 
rejoiceth  at  thy  coming.  Thou  hidest  thy  body  in 
Pa-Hennu^  until  Hathor  of  Aphroditopolis  cometh. 


Seker-Osiris  of  Busiris,  hawk-headed. 
Mariette,  Denderah,  IV,  90. 

Memphis  is  established  possessing  thee.  Kindled  for 
thee  is  a  fire  in  the  hands  of  the  goddess  Rerat,^  she 
performeth  acts  of  protection  for  thee  every  day.  Ptah 
giveth  air  to  thy  nostrils.  The  Meriti-gods,  chiefs  of  the 
Temple  of  Ptah,  protect  thee.  The  sanctuary  Shetat 
rejoiceth,  the  sanctuary  Hennu  is  glad.  The  heart  of 
Ptah-resu-aneb-f  is  glad,  he  rejoiceth  in  thy  love.  The 
Temple  of  Sekhet  resoundeth  with  music  in  thine  honour. 
The  Temple  of  Aqert  rejoiceth  possessing  thee,  and 
Horus  overthroweth  all  thine  enemies.  The  gods  of 
Latopolis  are  full  of  the  sight  of  thee.  Thou  art 
protected    by    Nut    in    the    city   of   Apis,    Momemphis 

^  The  Temple  of  the  Canal. 

^  The  Hippopotamus  goddess  of  the  Nile. 


spirit  Burial  of  Osiris 


57 


rejoiceth  in  thine  image.  Thou  suckest  in  pure  life  with 
the  milk  of  the  Cow-goddess  Sekha-Heru,  and  the  Town 
of  the  Cow  is  full  of  happiness.  The  goddess  Sekhmet 
protecteth  thee  in  the  lands  of  the  Thehennu,  she 
defendeth  thee  ;  the  queen  of  Mer-ur  is  glad. 

The  goddess  of  the  Companies  of  the  Gods  tarrieth 
with  thy  name  in  the  Temple  of  Neith,  the  city  of  Sais  is 
filled  with  glory  at  the  sight  of  thee.  Thou  becomest 
hidden  on  the  south  side  and  on  the  north  side,  [thy] 
apparel  is  the  work  of  the  two  Crocodile-gods.      Thou 


The  goddesses  Serqet  and  Tua  (?)  performing  a  magical  ceremony  for  Osiris. 
From  a  bas-relief  at  Philae. 


comest  to  Sais,  thou  passest  into  the  Temple  of  Het- 
Khebit.  The  goddess  Neith  shooteth  arrows  from  her 
bow  to  overthrow  thine  enemies  utterly.  Thou  reachest 
Athribis,  and  thou  appearest  in  the  form  of  a  bull  upon 
his  stand  in  thy  name  of  Osiris-Uu,  whilst  Isis  standeth 
before  thee.  She  never  leaveth  thee.  Thy  name  is  in  the 
mouth  of  her  inhabitants,  they  praise  thee  where  thou  art 
all  the  day  long,  even  as  they  praise  Ra,  the  father  of  thy 
parents  {i.e.,  thy  grandfather) ;  the  throne  which  thou 
lovest  is  in  her  {i.e.,  Sais).  The  Uraei-goddesses  rejoice 
in  thy  image,  and  their  sceptres  bring  thee  healing  season 
by  season.  The  city  of  Pe  rejoiceth  at  the  sight  of  thee, 
and  Tep  bringeth  hymns  and  praises  before  thy  face. 
The  goddess  Uatchit,  the  Uraeus-goddess  of  the  North, 


58       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

taketh  up  her  place  on  thy  head.  Clusters  of  papyrus 
plants  are  presented  unto  thee  in  the  city  of  Khebit  ;^  all 
thine  enemies  are  overthrown.  The  cities  of  Qebh-her 
and  Nai  bow  themselves  down  before  thy  face. 

The  children  and  young  men  come  to  thee  from 
Heliopolis.  The  awe  of  thee  filleth  the  temple  of  the 
god  Sep,  and  thy  name  is  spread  abroad  in  ...  .  The 
city  of  Kher-aha"  is  full  of  joy  at  the  sight  of  thee,  and 


The   Resurrection   of  Osiris. 
From  a  bas-relief  at  Philae. 


the  Temple  of  Amahet  hath  gladness  of  soul.  Shenu- 
qebh  is  filled  with  joy  of  heart,  and  the  holy  city  is  glad  ; 
and  under  the  form  of  Hetepit  the  goddess  Hathor 
guardeth  thee.  Bast,  the  Lady  of  Bubastis,  sendeth  awe 
of  thee  among  all  men ;  thy  strength  against  thine 
enemies  is  great.  The  town  of  Phacusa  is  glad.  The 
god  Sept,  the  Horus  of  the  East,  the  Bull,  the  slayer  of 
the    Anti,   rejoiceth  at   the  sight  of  thee.      Heru-Merti 

^  The  Island  of  Khemmis  of  the  classical  writers. 
-  Babylon  of  Egypt. 


spirit  Burial  of  Osiris 


59 


protecteth  thee,  and  overthroweth  all  thine  enemies  in 
the  town  of  Sheten  (Pharbaetus).  The  town  of  Tchan  is 
glad,  and  the  Land  of  Haa  is  full  of  joy.  The  town  of 
Remen  keepeth  a  feast,  the  town  of  Horus  in  the  North 
and  Sma-Behutet  rejoice  in  their  hearts.  The  town  of 
Theb-neter  (Sebennytus)  boweth  low  before  thee,  Heru- 
Tema,  with  the  lofty  plumes,  the  lord  of  the  crown,  is  the 
vanquisher  of  all  thy  foes.  The  town  of  Het-Baiu 
(Thmuis)  possesseth   thy  Ram,   and  thou   appearest  as 


The  Shrine  Tenter  on  its  sledge. 
Mariette,  Deiiderah,  IV,  65. 

Ba-neb-Tet*(Mendes),  the  virile  Ram,  the  master  of 
virgins.  The  town  of  Hermopolis  lieth  under  thy  rule, 
and  Thoth,  the  judge  of  the  Two  Combatants,  stablisheth 
the  writings  which  commemorate  [the  combat]  .... 
Thou  art  in  the  place  of  Ra  for  ever. 


The  Lamentations  of  Isis  and  Nephthys.^ 
The  Book  of  the  Commemorative  sentences  which 

ARE     TO     be      said      BY      THE     TwO      SiSTERS      [LsiS       AND 

Nephthys]  in  the  House  of  Osiris,  Khenti-Amentiu, 
THE  Great  God,  the  Lord  of  Abydos,   in  the  IVth 

•  ^  For  the  hieratic  text  and  a  French  translation  see  J.  de  Horrack, 
Les^  Lamentations^  Paris,  1866;  for  a  hieroglyphic  transcript  see  my 
Egyptian  Reading  Book,  ?•  78. 


6o       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

MONTH  OF  THE  SEASON  OF  AkHET,  ON  THE  XXVtH  DAY 
OF  THE  SAME.  ThIS  BOOK  SHALL  LIKEWISE  BE  RECITED 
IN  EVERY  SEAT  OF  OsiRIS  DURING  HIS  FESTIVAL,  FOR  IT 
SHALL  MAKE  HIS  SOUL  TO  BE  A  SPIRIT,  SHALL  STABLISH 
HIS  BODY,  SHALL  MAKE  HIS  Ka  TO  REJOICE,  SHALL  GIVE 
BREATH  TO  THE  NOSTRILS  AND  AIR  TO  THE  THROAT 
WHICH  IS  STOPPED,  SHALL  MAKE  THE  HEARTS  OF  I  SIS 
AND  NePHTHYS  HAPPY,  SHALL  PLACE  HORUS  ON  THE 
THRONE  OF  HIS  FaTHER.  It  IS  BENEFICIAL  TO  RECITE 
THIS    BOOK    FROM    THE    HIEROGLYPHIC    TEXT. 


The  Serekh  Shrine  containing  remains  of  Osiris. 
Mariette,  Denderah,  IV,  67. 

I  SIS  SAiTH  :  "  Come  to  thy  house,  come  to  thy 
house.  An,  come  to  thy  house.  Thine  enemy  is 
not.  O  beautiful  Ahi,  come  to  thy  house.  Look 
thou  upon  me,  I  am  the  sister  who  loveth  thee,  go  not 
far  from  me.  O  beautiful  Boy,  come  to  thy  house, 
immediately,  immediately.  I  do  not  see  thee,  my 
heart  weepeth  for  thee,  my  two  eyes  follow  thee  about. 
I  am  following  thee  about  so  that  I  may  see  thee. 
Lo,  I  wait  to  see  thee,  I  wait  to  see  thee,  Beautiful 
Prince,  lo,  I  wait  to  see  thee.  It  is  good  to  see  thee, 
it  is  good  to  see  thee  ;  O  An,  it  is  good  to  see  thee, 
Come    to    thy    beloved    one,     come    to    thy    beloved 


Spirit  Burial  of  Osiris 


6i 


one,   r Beautiful      Being]   triumphant!     Come  to    thy 

sister.  Come  to  thy  wife.  Come  to  thy  wife, 
O  thou  whose  heart  is  still.  Come  to  the  lady  of  thy 
house,  I  am  thy  sister  by  (?)  thy  mother.  Go  not 
thou  far  from  me.  The  faces  of  gods  and  men  are 
towards  thee,  they  weep  for  thee  all  together.  As 
soon  as  I  perceived  [thee]  I  cried  out  unto  thee, 
weeping  with  a  loud  voice  which  penetrated  heaven, 


The  Boat  of  Seker-Osiris  on  its  sledge.     It  was  drawn  round  the  sanctuary  at  dawn. 
Marietta,  Denderah,  IV,  64. 


"  and  thou  heardest  not  my  voice.  I  am  thy  sister 
"  who  loved  thee  upon  earth  ;  none  other  loved  more 
"  than  [thy]  sister,  thy  sister," 

Nephthys  saith  :  "  O  Beautiful  Prince,  come  to  thy 
"  house.  Let  thy  heart  rejoice  and  be  glad,  for  all 
"  thine  enemies  have  ceased  to  be.  Thy  two  Sisters 
"  are  nigh  unto  thee,  they  protect  thy  bier,  they  address 
"  thee  with  words  [full  of]  tears  as  thou  liest  overthrown 
"  on  thy  bier.  Look  thou  at  the  young  women,  speak 
"  to  us,  O  Sovereign  our  Lord.  Destroy  thou  all  the 
"  misery  which  is  in  our  hearts.  Thy  S/ienit  nobles 
"  among   gods    and    men    look    upon    thee   [and    say] : 

VOL.   II.  F 


62       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

"Turn  thou  to  us  thy  face,  O  Sovereign  our  Lord! 
"  Life  is  [on]  our  face[s]  in  the  seeing  of  thy  face,  turn 
"  not  thou  away  thy  face  from  us.  The  joy  of  our 
"  heart  is  in  the  sight  of  thee,  O  Beautiful  Sovereign, 
"  our  heart  would  see  thee.  I  am  thy  sister  Nephthys 
"  who  loveth  thee.  Thy  Sebau  fiend  hath  fallen,  he 
"  hath  no  being-.  I  am  with  thee,  and  I  act  as  a 
*'  protectress  of  thy  members  for  ever  and  ever." 


The  Maat  Boat  on  its  sledge.     Harpokrates  is  seated  on  the  prow. 
Mariette,  DendJrak,  IV,  64. 

I  SIS  SAiTH :  "  Hail,  thou  god  An,  thou  rollest  up 
into  the  sky  for  us  every  day  ;  we  cease  not  to  see  thy 
beams.  Thoth  acteth  as  a  protector  for  thee,  he  maketh 
to  stand  up  thy  soul  in  the  Maatet  Boat  in  thy  name 
of  Aah.  I  have  come  to  see  thee  and  thy  beauties 
within  "the  Utcha  in  thy  name  of  Heb-enti-sas  (?) 
[i.e.,  the  Sixth-day  Festival).  Thy  Shenit  nobles 
are  round  about  thee,  they  depart  not  from  thee. 
Thou  hast  conquered  heaven  by  the  greatness  of  thy 
majesty  in  thy  name  of  '  Prince  of  the  festival^  of  the 
fifteenth  day.'  Thou  risest  upon  us  like  Ra  every 
day  ;  thou  shinest  on  us  like  Atem.  Gods  and  men 
live  at  the  siorfit  of  thee.     Thou    risest  on  us,    thou 


spirit  Burial  of  Osiris 


63 


"  illuminest  the  Two  Lands.  The  horizon  is  covered 
*'  with  the  tracks  of  thy  passings.  The  faces  of  gods 
*'  and  men  are  turned  to  thee  ;  there  is  no  evil  thing 
"  with  them  when  thou  risest.  Thou  sailest  over  the 
"  sky,  thine  enemies  exist  not.  I  act  as  thy  pro- 
"  tector  every  day.  Thou  comest  unto  us  as  a  babe 
"  each  month,  we  cease  not  to  see  thee.  Thy  divine 
**  emanation  glorifieth  Sahu  (i.e.,  the  Orion  god)  in  the 


A  Boat  of  Horus  on  its  sledge. 
Mariette,  Denderah,  IV,  64. 


heavens,  rising  and  setting  each  day,  and  I  am  like 
Septet  {i.e.,  Sirius)  behind  thee,  and  I  go  not  away 
from  thee.  The  holy  and  divine  emanation  which 
Cometh  forth  from  thee  vivifieth  gods,  men,  quadrupeds, 
and  reptiles,  and  they  live  thereby.  Thou  sailest  forth 
to  us  from  thy  cavern  at  thy  season  to  pour  out  the 
seed  of  thy  soul,  to  make  abundant  offerings  for  thy 
Ka,  and  to  give  life  unto  gods  and  men  likewise. 
Hail,  thou  Lord,  there  existeth  no  god  who  is  like 
unto  thee.  Heaven  possesseth  thy  soul,  earth  pos- 
sesseth  thy  similitudes,  and  the  Tuat  possesseth  thy 
secret  things.  Thy  wife  acteth  as  thy  protectress, 
thy  son  Horus  is  the  Heq  (Governor)  of  the  World." 

F  2 


64       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 


Nephthys     saith  :      "Hail,     Beautiful    Sovereign! 

"  Come   to   thy  house,    O  (  Beneficent     Being  1    trium- 

"  phant,  come  to  Tetu  (Busiris).  Hail,  Bull,  thou 
"  fertile  one,  come  to  Anep  (Mendes).  O  beloved  one 
"  of  the  sanctuary,  come  to  the  nome  of  Hat-mehit 
"  (Mendes).  Come  to  Tettet  (Mendes  town),  the 
"  place  beloved  of  thy  Soul.  The  Souls  of  thy  fathers 
"...  are  to  thee,  thy  son,  the   child    Horus,    brought 


The  Sektet  Boat  on  its  sledge  with  the  shrine  containing  Osiris- Ra  in  the 
form  of  a  ram-headed  man.     Harpokrates  is  seated  on  the  prow. 

Mariette,  Denderah,  IV,  64. 

forth  by  the  Two  Sisters,  is  before  thee.  I  act  as  thy 
protectress  at  dawn  daily,  and  I  never  depart  from 
thee.  Hail,  god  An !  Come  to  Sais  ;  Sau  is  thy 
name.  Come  to  the  nome  of  Sapi  (?)  (Saites),  thou 
shalt  see  thy  mother  Net  (Neith) ;  Beautiful  Boy, 
cease  not  to  be  with  her,  come  thou  to  her  breasts, 
and  drink  deeply  there,  to  thy  fill.  O  Beautiful 
Brother,  depart  not  thou  from  her,  O  divine  Son, 
come  to  the  city  of  Sais.  Come  to  Sapi,  thy  city. 
Thy  seat  is  the  Temple  of  Teb.  Thou  shalt  repose 
near  thy  mother  for  ever.  She  protecteth  thy 
members,   she    driveth    away    thy    Sebau    fiends,    she 


Spirit  Burial  of  Osiris 


65 


"  acteth  as  the  protectress  of  thy  members  for  ever. 
"  Hail,  Beautiful  Sovereign,  come  to  thy  house !  O 
"  Lord  of  Sais,  come  thou  to  Sais." 

Isis  SAiTH :  "  Come  to  thy  house,  come  to  thy 
"house!  O  Beautiful  Sovereign,  come  to  thy  house! 
"  Come,  look  thou  upon  thy  son  Horus,  the  king  of 
"  gods  and  men.  He  hath  conquered  cities  and  nomes 
"  by  reason  of  his  august  majesty.  The  heavens  and 
"  the   earth  are   in    fear   of   him,   and  the  Land  of   Sti 


The  Boat  of  the  Aterti  of  the  North. 
Mariette,  Denderah,  IV,  65. 

(Nubia)  holdeth  him  to  be  conqueror.  Thy  nobles 
among  gods  and  men  are  to  him  in  the  Two  Aterti,^ 
that  they  may  perform  what  is  to  be  performed  for 
thee.  Thy  Two  Sisters  are  about  thee  to  pour  out 
libations  to  thy  Ka.  Thy  son  Horus  maketh  unto 
thee  the  offerings  which  appear  at  the  word— bread, 
beer,  oxen,  geese.  The  god  Thoth  readeth  the 
service  for  thee,  and  he  reciteth  for  thee  his  magical 
spells.  The  [four]  Sons  of  Horus  act  as  guardians  of 
thy  members,  and  make  to  be  spirit  thy  soul  every 
day.  Thy  son  Horus  pronounceth  thy  name  in  thy 
'  hidden  chest,  and  placeth  things  [i.e.,  offerings)  to  thy 

1  I.e.,  the  South  and  the  North. 


66       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

"  Ka.  The  gods  hold  in  their  hands  the  nemmest  vases 
"  to  pour  out  libations  to  thy  Ka.  Come  thou  to  thy 
"  nobles,  O  our  Sovereign  Lord,  and  depart  thou  not 
"  from  them." 

Rubric  :  Now  after  the  above  words  have  been 

READ,  the  place  BECOMETH  MOST  HOLY.  LeT  NO 
HUMAN  EYE  i^I.E.,  NO  MAN)  LOOK  ON  OR  LLSTEN  [aT  THE 
reading]  except    THE    CHIEF  KhER-HEB    AND    THE    SeTEM 

PRIEST.  Then  two  young  and  fair  women  shall  be 
brought,    and    made    to    seat    themselves    on    the 

GROUND    BY    THE    CHIEF    DOOR    OF    THE    USEKHT  ChAMBER. 

On  the  shoulder  of  one  the  name  of  Isis  shall  be 
written,  and  on  the  shoulder  of  the  other  the 

NAME  OF  NePHTHYS.  AnD  CRYSTAL  VASES  FULL  OF 
WATER  SHALL  BE  PLACED  IN  THEIR  RIGHT  HANDS,  AND 
CAKES  MADE  IN  MEMPHIS  IN  THEIR  LEFT  HANDS,  AND 
THEY  SHALL  PRESENT  THEM  AT  THE  THIRD  AND  AT  THE 
EIGHTH  HOURS  OF  THE  DAY.  ThOU  SHALT  NOT  CEASE 
AT  ALL  FROM  THE  READING  OF  THIS  BoOK  ON  THE  DAY 
OF    THE    FESTIVAL. 

HYMNS  TO  OSIRIS. 
I.  The  Hymns  of  Ani  the  Scribe. 

1.  Praise  be  unto  Osiris  Un-Nefer,  the  great  god 
who  dwelleth  in  Abtu,  king  of  eternity,  lord  of  ever- 
lastingness,  who  passeth  through  millions  of  years  in 
his  existence.     [He  is]  the  firstborn  son  | 

2.  of  the  womb  of  Nut  [and]  was  begotten  by  Keb^ 
the  Erpat.  He  is  the  lord  of  the  Ureret  Crown  [and] 
the  possessor  of  the  lofty  White  Crown — the  Sovereign 
of  gods  and  men.  | 

3.  He  hath  received  the  crook  j  [and]  the  whip,  [and] 

the  rank  of  his  divine  fathers.  Let  thy  heart  be  glad,  O 
thou  who  art  in  the  funerary  mountain,  [for]  thy  son 
Horus  is  established  on  thy  throne.  | 

4.  Thou  hast  been  crowned  "  Lord  of  Tattu " 
(Busiris),  and  "  Ruler  in  Abtu  (Abydos).  Thou  makest 
the  Two  Lands  (Egypt),  to  flourish  triumphantly  before 

^  Strictly  speaking,  Keb  was  the  grandfather  of  Osiris. 


Spirit  Burial  of  Osiris  67 

5.  Neb-er-tcher.^  |  He  guideth  that  which  hath  not 
yet  come  into  being  in 

6.  his  name  "  Ta-her-  |  sta-nef."  He  draweth  along 
the  Two  Lands  {i.e.,  Egypt) 

7.  with   regularity  in  his  name   of  "  Seker."      He  is 

mighty  in  | and  most  terrible  in  his  name  of 

"  Asar  "  (Osiris)."     The   duration  of  his   existence  is   an 
eternal  henti  period^  in  his  name  of  "  Un-Nefer."  | 

8.  Homage  to  thee,  King  of  kings,  Lord  of  lords. 
Governor  of  governors,  Overlord  of  the  Two  Lands 
(Egypt),  from  the  womb  of  Nut.      He  hath 

9.  governed  |  the  countries  [and]  Akert.  [With] 
limbs  of  silver-gold,  and  a  head  of  lapis-lazuli,  and 
turquoise  all  about  him — thou  god  An  of  millions  of 
years  | 

10.  Extended  of  body,  beautiful  of  face  in  Ta- 
Tchesert.*  Grant  thou  glory  in  heaven,  and  power  upon 
earth,  and  triumph  in  the  Other  World,  and  a  sailing 

11.  12.  down  the  river  |  to  Busiris  in  the  form  of  a 
living  I  soul,  and  a  sailing  up  the 

13,  14.  river  |  to  Abydos  like  a  Bennu  bird,  and  a 
going  in  and  a  coming  out  | 

15.  without  being  repulsed  at  any  of  the  gates  |  of  the 
Tuat,  and  give  thou 

16,  17.  I  bread-cakes  in  the  House  of  coolness,  |  and 
sepulchral  offerings  in  Anu 

18.  (Heliopolis),  and  a  permanent  |  estate  (or, 
possession)  in  Sekhet-Arui, 

19.  with  wheat,  barley,  and  |  millet   {dhtircC)  therein 
— to  the  Ka  {i.e.,  Double)  of  Osiris,  the  Scribe  Ani. 

H. 

I.  Praise  be  unto  Osiris,  the  lord  of  everlastingness, 
Un-Nefer,  Heru-Khuti,  [whose]  forms  (or,  transforma- 
tions) are  manifold,  [whose]  works  are  mighty, 

^  I.e.,  the  Creator  and  Sustainer  of  the  universe,  the  Universal 
Lord. 

2  Here  there  is  a  play  on  the  words  usr,  "  strength,"  and  Asar, 
"  Osiris." 

^  The  henti  period  consisted  of  two  periods,  each  containing 
sixty  years. 

*  Originally  a  part  of  Abydos,  but  subsequently  the  Other  World  in 
general. 


68       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

2.  He  is  Ptah-Sekri-Tem  in  Heliopolis,  and  the  Lord 
of  the  Sanctuary  Shethit,  He  is  the  creator  of  Het-ka- 
Ptah  {i.e.,  Memphis)  and  the  gods  who  are  therein. 
[He  is]  the  guide  of  the  Tuat. 

3.  Thou  art  praised  by  them  [i.e.,  the  Spirits  of  the 
Tuat)  when  thou  joinest  thyself  to  the  night  sky.  I  sis 
embraceth  thee  with  content,  she  chaseth  away  the  Tchai 
fiend 

4.  from  the  entrance  of  thy  paths.  Thou  turnest  thy 
face  to  Amentet,  thou  illuminest  the  Two  Lands  (Egypt) 
with  silver-gold  light.  The  [souls  who]  are  lying  on  their 
biers  rise  up  to  look  upon  thee,  they  snuff 

5.  the  breezes  [and]  they  behold  thy  face  as  the  Disk 
rolleth  on  its  horizon  ;  their  hearts  are  content  at  the 
sight  of  thee,  O  thou  who  art  Eternity  and  Everlast- 

INGNESS  ! 

Litany. 

1.  Homage  to  thee,  O  Lamp  in  Heliopolis,  and 
Henmemet-spirit  in  Kher-aha,  Unti,  who  art  more 
glorious  than  the  gods  of  the  Sheta  Shrine  in  Heliopolis  ! 

O  grant  thou  tmto  me  a  path  whereon  I  may  jourtiey 
in  peace.  I  ant  righteous.  I  have  not  littered  lies  wilfully. 
I  have  not  acted  a  double  part  (or,  dealt  doubly). 

2.  Homage  to  thee,  O  An  in  Antes  (?).  Great  God, 
Heru-Khuti,  thou  traversest  the  heights  of  heaven  with 
spacious  strides — thou  who  art  Heru-Khuti  ! 

O  grant  thou  unto  me  a  path  whereon  I  may  journey 
in  peace.  I  a77i  righteous.  I  have  not  uttered  lies  wilfully. 
I  have  not  dealt  doubly. 

3.  Homage  to  thee,  O  Everlasting  Soul,  Ram-god, 
dweller  in  Tattu  (Mendes),  Un-Nefer,  Son  of  Nut,  who 
art  the  Lord  of  Akert. 

O  grant  thou  ufzto  me  a  path  whereon  I  may  journey 
in  peace.  I  am  righteous.  I  have  not  uttered  lies  wilfully. 
I  have  not  dealt  doubly. 

4.  Homage  to  thee  in  thy  dominion  over  Tetu 
(Busiris),    the    Ureret   Crown    is   firmly  fixed  upon   thy 


spirit  Burial  of  Osiris  69 

head.    Thou  art  One,  thou  effectest  thine  own  protection. 
Thou  restest  in  peace  in  Tetu  (Busiris). 

O  grant  thou  unto  me  a  path  whereon  I  may  journey 
in  peace.  I  am  righteous.  I  have  not  uttered  lies  wilfully. 
I  have  not  dealt  doubly. 

5.  Homage  to  thee,  O  Lord  of  the  Nart  tree.  The 
Seker  Boat  hath  been  placed  upon  its  sledge.  Turn  back 
the  Sebau  Fiend,  the  Worker  of  evil,  and  make  the 
Utchat  to  rest  upon  its  throne. 

O  grant  thou  unto  me  a  path  whereon  I  may  journey 
in  peace.  I  am,  righteous.  I  have  not  uttered  lies  wilfully. 
1  have  not  dealt  doubly. 

6.  Homage  to  thee,  O  Mighty  One  in  thine  hour, 
Chief,  Prince,  President  of  An-rut-f,  Lord  of  Eternity, 
Creator  of  Everlastingness.  Thou  art  the  Lord  of 
Suten-henen  {i.e.,  Hensu,  or  Hanes). 

O  grant  thou  unto  me  a  path  whereo7i  I  may  journey 
in  peace.  I  am  righteous.  I  have  not  uttered  lies  wilfully. 
I  have  not  dealt  doubly. 

7.  Homage  to  thee,  O  thou  who  art  founded  upon 
Truth.  Thou  art  the  Lord  of  Abydos,  the  members  of 
thy  body  are  joined  to  Ta-Tchesert.  Thou  art  he  to 
whom  lies  are  abominations. 

O  grant  thou  unto  me  a  path  whereon  I  may  journey 
in  peace.  I  am  righteous.  I  have  not  uttered  lies  wilfully. 
I  have  not  dealt  doubly. 

8.  Homage  to  thee,  O  thou  who  dwellest  in  thy  Boat. 
Thou  bringest  the  Nile  forth  from  his  cavern,  and  the 
Light-god  rolleth  above  thy  body.  Thou  art  the  dweller 
in  Nekhen. 

O  grant  thou  unto  me  a  path  whe^'eon  I  may  journey 
in  peace.  I  am  righteous.  I  have  7iot  uttered  lies  wilfully. 
I  have  not  dealt  doubly. 

9.  Homage  to  thee,  O  Maker  of  the  gods,  king  of 
the  South  and  North,  T Osiris],  triumphant.  Overlord  of 


yo       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

the  Two  Lands  (z'.^.,  Egypt),  in  thy  seasons  of  beneficence. 
Thou  art  the  Lord  of  the  two  Halves  of  Egypt. 

O  grant  tkoti  unto  me  a  path  whereon  J  may  journey 
in  peace.  I  am  righteous.  I  have  not  uttered  lies  wilfully. 
I  have  not  dealt  doubly. 

in.   Hymn  of  Hunefer  the  Scribe. 

I,  2.  Praise  be  unto  Osiris,  and  let  adorations  be 
made  unto  him  !  The  Osiris  Hunefer,  the  steward 
of    the     Palace    of    the     Lord     of    the     Two     Lands, 

{  Men-Maat-Ra  J,  i.e.,  Seti  I  |  smelleth  the  ground  before 

Jn-Nefer,  and  toucheth  the  earth  with  his  forehead 
before  the  Lord  of  Ta-Tchesert,  and  exalteth  Him  that 
is  on  his  sand  {i.e.,  Osiris),  saying  : 

3.  I  have  come  unto  thee,  O  son  of  Nut,  Osiris, 
Prince  of  Everlastingness. 

4.  I  am  among  the  followers  (or  body-guard)  of 
Thoth,  I  applaud  everything  which  he  hath  done  [for 
thee].  He  brought  unto  thee  sweet  breezes  [i.e.,  fresh 
air)  for  thy  nostrils,  and  life  and  serenity  to  thy  beautiful 
face,  and  he  brought  the  north  wind  which  proceedeth 
from  the  god  Temu  to  thy  nostrils,  O  Lord  of 
Ta-Tchesert.  He  made  the  light  of  Shu  to  fall  upon 
thy  body.  He  illumined  for  thee  [thy]  path  with 
splendour. 

10.  He  destroyed  for  thee  the  defects  which  apper- 
tained to  thy  members  by  the  magical  power  of  the 
words  of  his  mouth.  He  made  the  Two  Horus 
Brethren^  to  be  at  peace  with  thee.  He  destroyed  for  thee 
the  rain  storm  and  the  thunder  and  the  lisrhtnincr.  He 
made  the  Two  Rehti  Goddesses,  the  Two  Sisters  of 
the  Two  Lands,  to  be  at  peace  before  thee,  he  did  away 
the  hostility  which  was  in  their  hearts,  and  each  became 
reconciled  to  the  other. 

Thy  son  Horus  is  triumphant  before  the  whole 
Company  of  the  Gods  ;  the  sovereignty  of  the  earth 
hath  been  given  to  him,  and  his  dominion  reacheth  to 
the  uttermost  limit  thereof.  The  throne  of  Keb  hath 
been    awarded    to    him,  and    the   full  rank  of  the    god 

^  Horus  and  Set. 


Spirit  Burial  of  Osiris  71 

Temu,  and  these  are  confirmed  [to  him]  by  the  writings 
which  are  in  the  record  chamber,  and  are  engraved  upon 
a  block  of  alabaster  (?),  according  to  the  decree  of 
15.  thy  Father  Tanen  on  the  Great  Throne. 

He  {i.e.,  Thoth)  hath  set  his  brother  on  that  which 
Shu  supporteth,  to  spread  out  the  waters  of  the  firma- 
ment, to  [stablish]  the  mountains  and  hills,  to  make  to 
germinate  (or,  flourish)  the  green  things  which  grow  on 
the  untilled  wastes,  and  the  grain  which  shooteth  up  in 
the  fields.  He  maketh  offerings  [to  come]  by  water  and 
by  land.  Gods  celestial  and  gods  terrestrial  follow  him 
[i.e.,  Horus]  into  his  hall,  and  every  decree  which  he 
maketh  in  respect  of  them  they  accept  and  carry  out 
forthwith. 

Let  thy  heart  be  happy,  O  Lord  of  the  gods,  let  thy 
heart  rejoice  exceedingly.  Kamt  (Egypt)  and  the  Red 
Land  give  service  to  thy  diadem.  The  temples  and  their 
properties  are  stablished  in  their  places.  Cities  [and] 
nomes  are  founded  {})  in  their  names.  We  pay  unto 
thee  the  offerings  which  are  obligatory,  and  oblations  are 
made  in  thy  name  for  ever. 

20.  Titles  of  praise  are  invoked  upon  thy  name. 
Libations  of  cool  water  are  poured  out  to  thy  Ka. 
Sepulchral  meals  are  brought  to  the  Spirits  who  are  in 
thy  train.  Water  is  poured  out  on  the  bread  {})  on  both 
sides  of  the  souls  of  the  dead  in  this  land.  Every  plan 
of  thine  which  from  the  beginning  was  according  to  his 
(i.e.,  Ra's)  commands  hath  been  carried  out.  25.  There- 
fore thou  wast  crowned,  O  son  of  Nut,  like  Neb-er-tcher 
at  his  coronation.  Thou  art  a  living  being.  Thou  art 
established.  Thou  renewest  thy  youth.  Thou  art 
whole  and  perfect.  Thy  father  Ra  maketh  strong  (or, 
protecteth)  thy  members.  Thy  Company  of  gods  make 
adorations  to  thee.  I  sis  is  with  thee,  she  never  separateth 
herself  from  thee.  Thou  art  not  overthrown  by  thine 
enemies. 

The  Lords  of  all  lands  (i.e.,  the  world)  thank  thee 
for  thy  beauteous  bounty  as  they  thank  Ra  when  he 
riseth  up  in  the  sky  at  sunrise.  Thou  art  crowned  like 
him  that  is  exalted  on  his  standard,  and  thy  beauteous 
bounty  exalteth  the  face  and  maketh  long  the  stride.  30.  It 
is  thy  father  Keb  who  hath  given  unto  thee  sovereignty. 


72       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

and  it  is  he  who  hath  created  thy  beauteous  bounty 
Nut,  the  genetrix  of  the  gods,  was  she  who  caused  thy 
members  to  come  into  being,  and  fashioned  thee  as  the 
"greatest  of  five  gods."^  Thou  art  estabhshed  king. 
The  White  Crown  is  upon  thy  head.  Thou  graspest 
the  sceptre  and  the  whip.  Whilst  thou  wast  in  the 
womb,  and  before  thou  didst  appear  on  the  earth,  thou 
wast  crowned  Lord  of  the  Two  Lands,  and  the  Atef 
Crown  of  Ra  was  upon  thy  brow.     The  gods  approach 


The  Boat  of  the  Aterti  of  the  South. 
Mariette,  Denderah,  IV,  65. 

thee  bowine  their  backs  because  of  the  fear  in  which 
they  hold  thee,  and  their  bodies  swaying  about  with- 
draw themselves  when  they  see  thee  arrayed  in  the 
awful  majesty  of  Ra,  and  the  victory  of  thy  Majesty  is 
in  their  hearts.  Life  is  with  thee,  offerings  follow  in 
thy  train,  and  the  statutory  offerings  are  offered  up 
before  thee. 

Grant  thou  that  I  may  have  my  being  as  a  follower 
of  thy  Majesty,  even  as  I  lived  with  thee  upon  earth. 
Let  my  soul  be  called,  and  let  it  be  35,  found  near  the 
Lords  of  Truth.  I  have  come  into  the  City  of  God, 
the   territory  of   primeval    time,    Ba-soul,    Double,    and 

1  /.(?.,  Osiris,  Isis,  Set,  Nephthys,  and  Horus  or  Anubis. 


spirit  Burial  of  Osiris 


73 


Spirit-soul  in  this  land.  The  god  thereof  is  the  Lord 
of  Maat,  the  Lord  of  offerings,  the  Most  Holy  One. 
This  land  draweth  unto  itself  every  land.  The  South 
cometh  sailing  down  the  river,  and  the  North  steered  by 
winds  cometh  each  day  to  celebrate  a  feast,  according  to 
the  decree  of  its  God,  who  is  the  Lord  of  offerings  (.'*) 
therein.  And  doth  he  not  say  : — Assuredly  there  shall 
be  joy  to  him  that  performeth  Maat  (or,  maketh  the 
offerings  which  are  due)  to  the  god  who  is  in  it.'*  He 
giveth  old  age  to  him  that  doeth  this  for  him,  and  after 


Boat  with  a  shrine  containing  the  body  of  Osiris  ;  Nephthys  kneels  at 

the  head  and  Isis  at  the  foot. 

Mariette,   Denderah,    IV,    66. 

him  that  followeth  him  loyally  there  shall  follow  offerings, 
and  finally  he  shall  attain  to  a  beautiful  funeral  and  shall 
be  buried  in  the  earth  in  Ta-Tchesert. 

I  have  come  unto  thee,  and  my  two  hands  hold 
Truth,  and  there  is  no  falsehood  in  my  breast.  40.  I  have 
set  Truth  before  thee,  for  I  know  that  it  is  that  whereon 
thou  livest.  I  have  committed  no  sin  in  this  land,  and 
I  have  defrauded  no  man  of  that  which  is  his. 

I  am  Thoth,  the  perfect  scribe,  whose  hands  are  pure, 
the  lord  of  purity,  the  destroyer  of  evil,  the  righteous 
scribe  whose  abomination  is  sin.  Behold,  I  am  the 
writing  reed  of  Neb-er-tcher,  the  lord  of  laws,  who 
giveth  forth  the  word  of  wisdom  and  understanding, 
whose  speech  founded  the  Two  Lands  (Egypt).     I  am 


74       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

Thoth,  the  Lord  of  Truth,  I  make  the  feeble  one  to 
triumph,  and  I  avenge  the  oppressed  one  by  punishing 
him  that  wronged  him.  I  have  scattered  the  darkness, 
I  have  rolled  away  the  thunder  storm,  I  have  brought 
air  to  Un-Nefer,  the  beautiful  breeze  of  the  north  wind, 
which  came  forth  from  the  womb  45,  of  his  mother,  and 
I  have  made  Horus  to  enter  into  the  Hidden  Shrine  to 
vivify  the  heart  of  the  god  of  the  Still-Heart  Un-Nefer, 
the  Son  of  Nut,  triumphant. 


The  Sethenu  Boat  of  Osiris  on  its  sledge. 
Marietta,  Dendhah^  IV,  67. 


IV.   Hymn  of  Sutimes. 

The  Osiris  Sutimes,  the  llbationer  and  president  of 
the  altar  chamber  in  the  Apts,  the  president  of  the  scribes 
of  the  temple  of  Amen,  triumphant,  saith  : — 

Homage  to  thee,  O  thou  God,  holy  one,  great  in 
beneficent  deeds,  thou  Prince  of  Eternity,  who  presideth 
over  his  place  in  the  Sektet  Boat,  thou  Mighty  One  of 
risings  in  the  Atet  Boat !  Praises  are  ascribed  unto 
thee  both  In  heaven  and  upon  earth.  The  Pat  beings 
and  the  Rekhit  beings  exalt  thee,  and  the  greatness  of 
thy  awe  Is  In  the  hearts  of  men,  the  Spirits,  and  the 
Dead.  Thou  placest  thy  Souls  in  Tettet  (Buslris  or 
Mendes)   and    thine    awe    is    in    Suten-henen.       Thou 


spirit  Burial  of  Osiris  75 

placest  the  visible  emblems  of  thyself  in  Heliopolis,  and 
the  greatness  of  thy  forms  in  the  Place  of  Purification. 
I  come  to  thee,  my  heart  bearing  truth,  and  my  breast 
containing  no  falsehood.  Grant  thou  that  I  may  have 
my  existence  among  the  living,  and  that  I  may  float 
down  and  sail  up  the  river  among  thy  followers. 

V.   Hymn  to  Osiris.^ 

Homage  to  thee,  Osiris,  Lord  of  eternity,  King  of 
the  Gods,  whose  names  are  manifold,  whose  forms  are 
holy,  thou  being  of  hidden  form  in  the  temples,  whose 
Ka  is  holy.  Thou  art  the  Governor  of  Tattu  (Busiris), 
and  also  the  mighty  one  in  Sekhem  (Letopolis).  Thou 
art  the  lord  to  whom  praises  are  ascribed  in  the  nome 
of  Ati,  thou  art  the  Prince  of  divine  food  in  Anu.  Thou 
art  the  Lord  who  is  commemorated  in  Maati,  the  Hidden 
Soul,  the  Lord  of  Qerrt  (Elephantine),  the  Ruler 
supreme  in  White  Wall  (Memphis).  Thou  art  the  Soul 
of  Ra,  his  own  body,  and  hast  thy  place  of  rest  in 
Henensu  (Herakleopolis).  Thou  art  the  beneficent  one, 
and  art  praised  in  Nart.  Thou  makest  thy  soul  to  be 
raised  up.  Thou  art  the  Lord  of  the  Great  House  in 
Khemenu  (Hermopolis).  Thou  art  the  mighty  one  of 
victories  in  Shas-hetep,  the  Lord  of  eternity,  the 
Governor  of  Abydos.  The  path  of  his  throne  is  in 
Ta-tcheser  {i.e.,  a  part  of  Abydos).  Thy  name  is 
established  in  the  mouths  of  men.  Thou  art  the 
substance  of  the  Two  Lands  (Egypt).  Thou  art  Tem, 
the  feeder  of  the  Kau  (Doubles),  the  Governor  of  the 
Companies  of  the  gods.  Thou  art  the  beneficent 
Spirit  among  the  spirits.  The  god  of  the  Celestial 
Ocean  (Nu)  draweth  from  thee  his  waters.  Thou 
sendest  forth  the  north  wind  at  eventide,  and  breath 
from  thy  nostrils  to  the  satisfaction  of  thy  heart.  Thy 
heart  reneweth  its  youth,  thou  producest  the  .... 
The  stars  in  the  celestial  heights  are  obedient  unto  thee, 
and  the  great  doors  of  the  sky  open  themselves  before 
thee.  Thou  art  he  to  whom  praises  are  ascribed  in  the 
southern  heaven,  and  thanks  are  given  for  thee  in  the 

^  See   Chabas,    Rev.   Arch.,    1857,    p.    65  ;    Ledrain,    Monuments^ 
Plate  XXII  ff. ;  Budge,  First  Steps,  pp.  179-188. 


76       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

northern  heaven.  The  imperishable  stars  are  under  thy 
supervision,  and  the  stars  which  never  set  are  thy 
thrones.  Offerings  appear  before  thee  at  the  decree  of 
Keb.  The  Companies  of  the  Gods  praise  thee,  and  the 
gods  of  the  Tuat  (Other  World)  smell  the  earth  in 
paying  homage  to  thee.  The  uttermost  parts  of  the 
earth  bow  before  thee,  and  the  limits  of  the  skies  entreat 
thee  with  supplication  when  they  see  thee.  The  holy 
ones  are  overcome  before  thee,  and  all  Egypt  offereth 


The  Boat  containing  the  head  box  and  standard  of  Osiris. 
Mariette,  Denderah,  IV,  68. 

thanksgiving  unto  thee  when  it  meeteth  Thy  Majesty. 
Thou  art  a  shining  Spirit-body,  the  Governor  of  Spirit- 
bodies  ;  permanent  is  thy  rank,  established  is  thy  rule. 
Thou  art  the  well-doing  Sekhem  (Power)  of  the 
Company  of  the  Gods,  gracious  is  thy  face,  and  beloved 
by  him  that  seeth  it.  Thy  fear  is  set  in  all  the  lands 
by  reason  of  thy  perfect  love,  and  they  cry  out  to  thy 
name  making  it  the  first  of  names,  and  all  people  make 
offerings  to  thee.  Thou  art  the  lord  who  art  com- 
memorated in  heaven  and  upon  earth.  Many  are  the 
cries  which  are  made  to  thee  at  the  Uak  festival,  and 
with  one  heart  and  voice  Egypt  raiseth  cries  of  joy 
to  thee. 


Spirit  Burial  of  Osiris 


77 


Thou  art  the  Great  Chief,  the  first  among  thy 
brethren,  the  Prince  of  the  Company  of  the  Gods,  the 
stablisher  of  Right  and  Truth  throughout  the  World, 
the  Son  who  was  set  on  the  great  throne  of  his  father 
Keb.  Thou  art  the  beloved  of  thy  mother  Nut,  the 
mighty  one  of  valour,  who  overthrew  the  Sebau  fiend. 
Thou  didst  stand  up  and  smite  thine  enemy,  and  set  thy 
fear  in  thine  adversary.  Thou  dost  bring  the  boundaries 
of  the  mountains  (?).     Thy  heart  is  fixed  (or,  determined), 


The  Makhet  Boat  ou  its  sledge. 
Mariette,  Denderah,  IV,  68. 

thy  legs  are  set  firm.  Thou  art  the  heir  of  Keb  and  of 
the  sovereignty  of  the  Two  Lords  (Egypt).  He  (Keb) 
hath  seen  his  splendours,  he  hath  decreed  for  him  the 
guidance  of  the  world  by  thy  hand  as  long  as  times 
endure.  Thou  hast  made  this  earth  with  thy  hand,  and 
the  waters,  and  the  winds,  and  the  vegetation,  and  all 
the  cattle,  and  all  the  feathered  fowl,  and  all  the  fish,  and 
all  the  creeping  things,  and  all  the  wild  animals  thereof 
The  desert  is  the  lawful  possession  of  the  son  of  Nut. 
The  Two  Lands  (Egypt)  are  content  to  crown  thee  upon 
the  throne  of  thy  father,  like  Ra. 

Thou  rollest  up  into  the  horizon,  thou  hast  set  light 
over  the  darkness,  thou  sendest  forth  air  (or,  light)  from 

VOL.  II.  G 


yS       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

thy  plumes,  and  thou  floodest  the  Two  Lands  Hke  the 
Disk  at  daybreak.  Thy  crown  penetrateth  the  height 
of  heaven,  thou  art  the  companion  of  the  stars,  and  the 
guide  of  every  god.  Thou  art  beneficent  in  decree  and 
speech,  the  favoured  one  of  the  Great  Company  of  the 
Gods,  and  the  beloved  of  the  Little  Company  of  the 
Gods. 

His  sister  [I sis]  hath  protected  him,  and  hath 
repulsed  the  fiends,  and  turned  aside  calamities  (or, 
times  [of  evil]  ).  She  uttered  the  spell  with  the  magical 
power  of  her  mouth.  Her  tongue  was  perfect  (or,  well- 
trained),  and  it  never  halted  at  a  word.  Beneficent  in 
command  and  word  was  I  sis,  the  woman  of  magical 
spells,  the  advocate  of  her  brother.  She  sought  him 
untiringly,  she  wandered  round  and  round  about  this 
earth  in  sorrow,  and  she  alighted  not  without  finding 
him.  She  made  light  (or,  air)  with  her  feathers,  she 
created  air  with  her  wings,  and  she  uttered  the  death 
wail  for  her  brother.  She  raised  up  the  inactive  members 
of  him  whose  heart  was  still,  she  drew  from  him  his 
essence,  she  made  an  heir,  she  reared  the  child  in  lone- 
liness, and  the  place  where  he  was  was  not  known,  and  he 
grew  in  strength  and  stature,  and  his  hand  was  mighty 
in  the  House  of  Keb.  The  Company  of  the  God 
rejoiced,  rejoiced,  at  the  coming  of  Horus,  the  son  of 
Osiris,  whose  heart  was  firm,  the  triumphant,  the  son  of 
Isis,  the  heir  of  Osiris.  The  sovereign  chiefs  of  Maat, 
and  the  Company  of  the  Gods,  and  Neb-er-tcher  himself, 
and  the  Lords  of  Maat,  gathered  together  to  him,  and 
they  assembled  in  the  [Great  House  of  Anu].  And 
verily,  those  who  repulse  sin  rejoice  in  the  House  of 
Keb  to  bestow  its  dignity  upon  the  Lord  thereof  and  the 
sovereignty  of  Truth. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Osiris  and  the  African  Grave. 

As  the  priests  of  Osiris  and  the  regulations  made  by 
them  for  his  cult  forbade  the  decapitation  and  mutilation, 
or  dismemberment,  of  the  bodies  of  worshippers  of  this 
god,  it  was  obviously  necessary  to  provide  tombs  for 
such  bodies,  and  to  place  them  in  graves,  where  they 
would  be  protected  from  the  attacks  of  human,  animal, 
and  other  eaters  of  the  dead.  The  making  of  a  good 
tomb,  however  simple,  demanded  the  expenditure  of 
money,  or  its  equivalent,  and  thus  it  follows,  as  a  matter 
of  course,  that  only  kings,  chiefs,  nobles,  or  men  of  high 
position,  who  could  command  the  services  of  slaves, 
would  be  buried  in  a  tomb,  and  that  all  the  poor,  or 
common  people,  would  go  without  burial.  As  a  result 
of  the  excavations  which  have  been  made  in  Egypt 
during  the  last  thirty  years,  thousands  of  graves  have 
been  brought  to  light,  but  these,  after  all,  must  repre- 
sent a  very  small  proportion  of  the  graves  which  would 
be  necessary  for  the  burial  of  even  the  upper  classes  of 
the  Egyptians  during  the  long  period  of  the  history  of 
the  country,  which  covers  some  thousands  of  years.  The 
Egyptians  had  to  solve  the  same  difficulty  as  their 
kinsmen  in  other  parts  of  Africa,  namely,  what  to  do 
with  the  dead,  and  it  is  probable  that  they  solved  it,  in 
the  earliest  times  at  least,  in  the  same  way  that  the 
peoples  in  the  Sudan  solve  it  at  the  present  day.  Rightly 
has  Schweinfurth  said  :  "  Not  a  custom,  not  a  superstition 
"  is  found  in  one  part  which  is  not  more  or  less  accu- 
"  rately  repeated  in  another ;  not  one  contrivance  of 
"  design,  not  one  weapon  of  war  exists  of  which  it  can 
"  be  declared  that  it  is  the  exclusive  property  of  any  one 
"  race.  From  north  to  south,  and  from  sea  to  sea,  in 
"  some  form  or  other,  every  invention  is  sure  to  be 
"  repeated  ;  it  is  the  thing  that  hath  been."^ 

^  Heart  of  Africa,  Vol.  I,  p.  313. 

G    2 


8o       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

Before  the  time  of  Osiris  some  of  the  Egyptians  pro- 
bably ate  their  dead,  and  used  some  of  them  up  in  making 
"  medicines  "  of  a  magic  character.  Even  after  the  cult 
of  Osiris  was  established  we  read  that  the  ertu  of  his 
body,  i.e.,  the  fluids  which  came  forth  from  it  after  death, 
gave  life,^  and  it  is  well  known  that  in  Africa  at  the 
present  day  the  brains  and  fat  of  the  dead  are  used  in 
making  charms.  Thus  the  Borfimor  "medicine"  was  a 
harmless  substance  enough  until  human  fat  was  added  to 
it,  when  it  became  an  all-powerful  fetish.  This  fat  was 
procured  from  the  intestines  of  men  who  were  killed  by 
the  Human  Leopard  Society.^  The  infamous  Temban- 
dumba^  pounded  her  child  which  she  was  feeding  at  her 
breast  in  a  mortar,  with  roots,  leaves,  oils,  etc.,  and  made 
an  ointment,  with  which  she  is  said  to  have  rendered  her- 
self invulnerable.  Her  subjects  killed  their  male  children 
also,  and  turned  them  into  ointment,  some  of  which  was 
preserved  till  Winwood  Reade's  time,  and  was  called 
"  Magija  Samba."*  The  Mpongwe  sever  the  head  from 
the  body  of  a  partially  decomposed  man,  and  suspend  it 
above  a  mass  of  chalk  which  is  placed  to  receive  the 
moisture  that  drops  from  it.  By  rubbing  the  chalk  on 
the  foreheads  of  the  living  it  is  thought  that  they  will 
acquire  the  brain  power  of  the  man  whose  brains  have 
dropped  on  the  chalk. ^  The  eater  of  the  brain  becomes 
endowed  with  bravery.^  Miss  Kingsley  found  in  a  fetish 
bag  a  human  hand  (fresh),  three  big  toes,  four  eyes,  and 
two  ears.''' 

The  dead  among  the  Egyptians  who  were  not  eaten  by 
men  were  disposed  of  by  the  crocodiles  in  the  rivers,  by 
the  hyaenas  and  jackals  in  the  desert,  and  probably  some 
of  them  by  burning  ;  at  all  events,  judging  by  the  graves 
which  remain,  the  number  that  were  buried  were  com- 
paratively few.     It  seems  from  allusions  in  the  Egyptian 

^  Budge,  Liturgy  of  Funerary  Offerings,  p.  53. 

-  AUdridge,  The  Sherbro  and  Its  Hinterland,  p.  153. 

3  Or,  Temba-Ndumba. — Burton,  A  Mission  to  Gelele^  King  of 
Dahome,  1864,  Vol.  I,  p.  71. 

^  Savage  Africa,  p.  367. 

^  Nassau,  Fetic/tism  in  IVest  Africa,  pp.  158,  162;  Wilson,  Western 
Africa,  pp.  393,  394 ;  Winwood  Reade,  Savage  Africa,  p.  248. 

6  Du  Chaillu,  Adventures,  pp.  168,  169. 

7  Travels  in  West  Africa,  London,  1897,  p.  273. 


Osiris  and  the  African  Grave  8i 

texts  as  if  the  custom  of  burning  the  dead  was  commoner 
in  early  times  than  has  been  generally  supposed.  In 
the  Book  of  Overthrowing  Apep,  this  archfiend  and  his 
associates  are  burnt  by  the  flames  of  the  Sun-god  and 
consumed.  1  In  the  Book  Am-Tuat,  the  bodies,  souls, 
shadows  and  heads  of  the  enemies  of  Ra  are  burnt  and 
consumed  daily  in  pits  of  fire.'^  In  the  Book  of  the  Dead 
several  allusions  to  burning  occur.  Thus  the  Rubrics  of 
Chapters  XVIII  and  XX  say  that  the  recital  of  these 
Chapters  will  enable  a  man  to  "  come  forth  {i.e.,  escape) 
from  the  fire."  In  Chapter  XVII  we  read  of  the  monster 
who  feeds  on  the  dead,  and  watches  at  the  Bight  of  the 
Lake  of  Fire,  and  in  Chapter  LXXI  are  mentioned  the 
Seven  Beings  who  work  slaughter  in  the  Lake  of  Fire,  who 
cut  off  hands  and  hack  necks  to  pieces,  and  seize  hearts 
and  tear  them  out  of  the  breasts.  In  Chapter  LXIIIa  the 
deceased  prays  in  one  version  that  "  he  may  neither  be 
burnt  up  nor  destroyed  by  fire,"  and  in  the  other  he 
states  that  Osiris  escaped  from  the  fire  and  was  not  burnt. 
In  Chapter  CXXVI  the  deceased  addresses  the  four 
apes  who  sit  one  at  each  corner  of  a  rectangular  lake  of 
fire,  "by  the  fire  from  whose  mouths  the  gods  are  pro- 
pitiated," and  beseeches  them  to  allow  him  to  enter 
Amentet.  The  Lake  of  Fire  was  no  doubt  a  lake  of 
boiling  water,  the  drinking  from  which  the  deceased 
wished  to  avoid  at  all  costs.  A  legend  referred  to  in 
Chapter  CXXV  mentions  that  the  abode  of  Osiris  has  a 
covering  of  fire,  that  its  walls  are  living  serpents,  and 
that  it  rests  on  water  ;  whether  the  water  is  boiling  or 
not  the  text  does  not  say.  These  passages  make  it  quite 
clear  that  the  cult  of  Osiris  forbade  the  burning  of  the 
body,  and  that  at  one  time  certain  Egyptian  peoples  must 
have  burnt  their  dead.  The  custom  had  not  entirely  died 
out  in  the  Sudan  in  the  first  or  second  century  of  our  era, 
for  in  1902  I  found  at  the  Pyramids  of  Meroe  several 
pots  containing  ashes  of  the  dead  and  calcined  bones.^ 
According  to  Frobenius,  the  Madgo  tribes  who  live  near 
the  Mafibattu  burn  the  bodies  of  the  dead,  and  scatter  their 
ashes.'^     As  regards  the  other  ways  of  disposing  of  the 

^  Budge,  Papyrus  of  Nesi  Amsu  (in  Archaeologia,  Vol.  LI  I). 

^  Division  XI.  ^  Budge,  Egyptian  Sudan,  Vol.  I,  p.  343. 

*  Die  Heiden-Neger  des  dgyptischen  Sudan,  Berlin,  1893,  p.  437. 


82       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 


dead  followed  by  modern  peoples  in  Africa,  almost  every- 
where the  common,  or  very  poor,  or  very  old,  folk  are 
thrown  "  into  the  bush  "  for  the  kites  and  hyaenas  to 
devour.  The  Masai  wholly  decline  to  bury  the  dead,  for 
they  believe  they  would  poison  the  soil  ;^  this  may  be  due 
to  the  fact  that  they  believe  in  annihilation. 

The  oldest  form  of  the  African  tomb  is  a  pit  dug  in 
the  ground,  on  the  bottom  of  which  the  dead  person  was 

placed.  Attempts  were  made 
at  a  very  early  period  to 
protect  the  body  from  contact 
with  the  earth,  for  it  was 
sometimes  wrapped  up  in  a 
reed  mat,  and  sometimes  in 
the  skin  of  some  animal. 
Another  method  of  protect- 
ing the  body  was  to  place  it 
in  a  hollow  made  in  one  side 
of  the  pit  at  the  bottom, 
and  this  hollow  subsequently 
developed  into  the  sarco- 
phagus chamber  of  the 
Egyptian  tomb.  In  the 
Sudan  no  stone  buildings  or 
tombs  of  any  kind  could  be 
built  because  of  the  want  of 
lime,^  and  therefore  from  the 
earliest  period  to  the  present 
time  the  essential  character- 
istics of  the  African  tomb 
have  remained  unchanged  in 
that  region.  In  Egypt  several  general  modifications  and 
developments  took  place  in  tombs  at  a  very  early  period, 
but  from  first  to  last  the  essentials  for  all  tombs  were  : 
I.  A  funerary  chamber,  usually  at  the  top  of  the  pit, 
where  offerings  were  placed.  2.  A  pit.  3.  A  chamber 
for  the  body  or  mummy,  usually  called  the  sarcophagus 
chamber,  or  mummy  chamber. 

Sometime  between  the  XII th  and  XVIIIth  dynasties, 
when  a  great   development  in   the   cult   of   Osiris   took 

^  Joseph  Thomson,  Through  Masai  Land,  London,  1885,  p.  444. 
2  Schweinfurth,  Heart  of  Africa,  Vol.  I,  p.  208. 


A,  Tomb  above  ground. 

B,  C,  Pit  or  shaft. 

D,  Corridor  leading  to  mummy  chamber 

E,  Mummy  chamber. 


Osiris  and  the  African  Grave  83 

place    throughout    Egypt,    the    view    became    general 
that  Osiris  was  buried  at  Abydos.      How  or  why  this 
happened  is  not  known,  but  it  may  have  been  due  to  the 
revival   of  an  ancient  tradition  to  this  effect.       Be  this 
as    it    may,   quite    early    in    the    XVIIIth    dynasty,  the 
Egyptians  felt  sure   that   the   body  of   Osiris   rested  at 
Abydos,  and  they  identified  a  tomb  of  one  of  the  kings 
of  the  1st  dynasty  as  the  tomb  of  Osiris.     This  tomb  was 
made  for  a   king  whose    Horus    name    is  written   with 
a  sign  which  I  believe  to  have  been  read  "  Khent,"^  and 
it   is    possible    that   those  who    made    the    identification 
connected    in    their    minds    this    name    with    "  Khenti- 
Amenti,"  an    old  god  of  the    dead   of  Abydos,    whose 
position  and  attributes  were  absorbed  by  Osiris.     From 
the  XVIIIth  dynasty  onwards  this  tomb  enjoyed  great 
repute  as  the  shrine  of  Osiris,  and  offerings  poured  into 
it    in    abundance.     Between    the    XXIst   and    XXVIth 
dynasties  a  massive  granite  bier,  on  which  was  cut  in  high 
relief  a  figure  of  Osiris,  was  placed  in  the  tomb,  which 
for   a    considerable    time   afterwards    continued   to    be 
regarded  as  the  veritable  tomb  of  Osiris.     Whether  this 
view  was  correct  or  not  does  not  concern  us  here,  for  it 
is  as  a  tomb  merely  that  we  are  considering  it.     This 
tomb  was  discovered  and  excavated  by  M.  E.  Amelineau 
in  the  winter  of  1897-8,  and  he  has  published  a  long 
detailed  account  of  his  labours   in  connection  with   it.^ 
It  was  a  rectangular  building,  the  east  and  south  walls  of 
which  were  about  8  feet  thick,  and  the  west  and  north 
walls    a   litde    thicker.      The  walls    were    of  brick.      It 
resembled  a  house  built  on  the  north,  south,   and  east 
sides  of  a  court,   and   in  the    north-west  corner  was  a 
flight  of  steps  which  enabled  visitors  to  descend  into  the 
tomb,  and  to  reach  the  tops  of  the   fourteen  chambers 
which   were   built  on   its   three  sides.     The    north    and 
south  walls  were  about  42  feet  6  inches  long,  and  the 

^  Prof.  Naville  thinks  the  sign  should  be  read  Shest  or  Shesta, 


probably  identifying  it  with      „     liijMu  (Pepi  I,  U.  196,  682)  or 

^M][l(Te.M.335r  " 

2  Le  Tombeau  d:  Osiris,  Paris,  1899;  see  also  Petrie,  Royal  Tombs, 
Part  II,  1 90 1,  p.  8. 


84       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

east  and  west  walls  about  38  feet  6  inches  long  ;  their 
original  height  is  unknown,  but  when  M.  Amelineau 
discovered  their  remains  they  were  all  about  8  feet  high. 
In  this  rectangle,  supported  on  layers  of  sand,  bricks, 
and  wood,  the  tomb  chamber  was  built ;  it  was  made  of 
fy  wood,  and  was  probably  about  28  feet  square.  In 
the  small  chambers  were  found  large  jars,  most  of 


m 


them  broken,  but  on  some  of  them  there  remained 
the  earthenware  caps  which  served   to  close  their 
mouths,  and  which  were  stamped  with  the  Horus 
name  of  King  Khent. 

On  January  2,  1898,  M.  Amelineau  found  a  head, 
which  he  believed  to  be  that  of  Osiris,  and  on  the  same  day 
his  workmen  excavated  the  granite  bier  of  Osiris  already 
mentioned.  This  bier,  which  is  now  in  the  Egyptian 
Museum  in  Cairo,  is  of  grey  granite,  and  is  about  5  feet 
4  inches  in  length,  and  about  3  feet  in  width.  The  bier 
resembles  in  form  the  angareb  bedstead  which  is  found 
all  over  Egypt  and  the  Sudan,  and  had  lion  legs  with 
a  lion's  head  on  the  top  of  each,  and  they  rest  on  a 
pedestal.     On  the  bier  lies  a  figure  of  Osiris,   wearing 

the  White  Crown,  and  holding  f\  and  f  in  his  hands. 

Above  his  head  are  figures  of  two  hawks,  and  at  his  feet 
are  two  more.  On  the  centre  of  his  body  is  another 
hawk,  which  represents  the  goddess  I  sis,  and  is  intended 
to  commemorate  the  union  of  Isis  and  Osiris  which, 
according  to  the  legend,^  took  place  after  the  death  of 
Osiris.  The  fruit  of  this  union  was  Horus,  whom  Isis 
brought  forth  in  the  Delta,  where  she  reared  him  and 
taught  him  that  it  was  his  duty  to  avenge  his  father's 
murder.  This  interesting  monument  belongs  obviously 
to  a  comparatively  late  period,  but  it  is  possible  that  it 
was  a  copy  of  an  earlier  bier  which  may  have  existed  in 
this  tomb. 

The  tomb  of  Khent  certainly  belongs  to  the  period  of 
the  1st  dynasty,  and  it  has  importance  in  connection  with 

^  It  is  as  old  as  the  Vlth  dynasty.     In  an  address  to  Osiris  it  is 

000 


said:  cr^^_^[l^   I  "^   P 


Osiris  and  the  African  Grave  85 

the  history  of  Osiris,  for  it  satisfied  the  requirements  of 
the  tradition  which  identified  it  with  the  tomb  of  Osiris. 
Also  we  see  in  it  the  three  essentials  of  the  African 
tomb,  the  place  for  offerings,  the  pit,  and  the  chamber 
for  the  dead.  In  this  case  the  place  for  the  offerings 
consisted  of  several  chambers  which  were  in  the  pit 
itself,  but  the  inconvenience  of  this  arrangement  was 
readily  recognized,  and  very  soon  after  the  1st  dynasty 
the  place  for  the  offerings  was  formed  by  a  chamber 
made  at  the  top  of  the  pit. 

The  most  perfect  Egyptian  form  of  the  African  tomb 
is  the  7nastabah,  in  which  the  chamber  for  offerings  stands 
immediately  over  the  pit  and  the  mummy  chamber, 
which  was  made  on  one  side  at  the  bottom  of  the  pit, 
from  which  it  was  separated  by  a  very  short  passage. 
When  the  mummy  had  been  placed  in  its  chamber  this 
passage  was  blocked  carefully,  or  built  up,  and  thus  the 
mixture  of  stones,  sand,  and  mud,  with  which  the  pit 
was  filled  afterwards,  did  not  force  its  way  into  the 
mummy  chamber.  In  the  great  pyramid  tombs  the  pit 
takes  the  form  of  a  diagonal  or  horizontal  corridor  ;  at 
the  entrance  is  the  hall  for  offerino-s,  called  the  Tuat 
chamber,  and  at  the  end  in  the  ground  is  the  mummy 
chamber.  When  the  tomb  is  hewn  in  the  mountain  the 
pit  may  also  take  the  form  of  a  horizontal  or  diagonal 
corridor,  or  series  of  corridors,  and  the  mummy  chamber 
is  hewn  at  a  considerable  depth  in  the  bowels  of  the 
mountain.  In  such  cases  the  chamber  for  offerings  is 
some  distance  from  the  outside  of  the  mountain,  and 
may  be  approached  by  going  down  a  corridor  or  flight 
of  steps.  In  all  cases,  however,  the  chamber  for 
offerings,  the  pit,  and  the  mummy  chamber  are  the  chief 
features  of  the  tomb.  We  may  now  compare  the  facts 
about  ancient  Egyptian  tombs  given  above  with  the 
details  of  tombs  which  are  found  scattered  through  the 
writings  and  reports  of  African  travel  made  by  competent 
travellers  during  the  last  hundred  years. 

The  Dyoor  graves  are  made  close  to  the  huts  of  the 
living.  The  ground  is  levelled  by  means  of  a  piece  of 
bark  about  3  feet  long,  and  a  circular  mound,  some 
3  or  4  feet  high,  indicates  the  last  resting-place  of  a 
Dyoor,  so  long  as  the  violence  of  the  rain  allows  it  to 


86       Osiris  and  the  Eg)^ptian  Resurrection 

retain  its  shape.  After  a  few  years  all  traces  of  them 
disappear.^  The  Bongo  grave  is  a  pit  4  feet  deep,  with  a 
niche  hollowed  in  one  side  of  it,  so  that  the  sack  contain- 
ing the  corpse  may  not  have  to  sustain  any  vertical 
pressure  from  the  earth  which  is  thrown  in  to  fill  up  the 
grave.  After  the  grave  is  filled  in,  a  heap  of  stones  is 
piled  over  the  spot  in  a  short  cylindrical  form,  and  this  is 
supported  by  strong  stakes,  which  are  driven  into  the 
soil  all  round  ;  on  the  middle  of  the  pile  is  placed  a  pitcher, 
probably  that  from  which  the  deceased  drank.  The 
graves  are  close  to  the  huts,  and  their  sites  are  marked  by 
a  number  of  long  forked  branches,  carved  with  numerous 
notches  and  incisions,  and  having  their  points  sharpened 
like  horns.  The  Mittu  and  Madi  and  Musgii  graves 
are  somewhat  similar.  Among  the  Musgu  arrows  are 
shot  into  the  stakes  and  are  left  sticking  in  the  wood.^ 
Schweinfurth  could  not  learn  from  the  natives  what  these 
notched  stakes  signified,  but  it  is  probable  that  originally 
each  notch  represented  a  year,^  and  that  they  collectively 
represented  a  great  number  of  years,  and  signified  the 
wish  of  relatives  of  the  deceased  that  he  might  live  for 
ever  in  the  Other  World.  The  A-Zande,  or  Niam- 
Niam,  also  bury  the  body  in  a  niche  in  the  pit,  and  when 
this  is  filled  in  with  clay  and  stamped  down  a  hut  is  built 
over  it.^  The  Muslims  have  copied  the  old  African 
custom,  and  carefully  bury  their  dead  in  niches  in  the  pit. 
The  grave  of  the  Moro  chief,  in  Neambara,  which 
Petherick  saw,  was  a  slightly  oval  hole,  which  varied 
from  2  feet  2  inches  to  2  feet  6  inches  in  diameter,  and 
was  5  feet  deep.  On  the  south  side  a  cavity  4  feet 
6  inches  long,  4  feet  wide  and  i  foot  6  inches  high  was 
excavated,  and  in  this  the  body  was  placed  ;  a  piece  of 
basket  work  was  placed  along  the  side  of  it  to  keep  the 
earth  from  the  body  when  the  pit  was  filled  in.  A  tree 
trunk  was  dropped  into  the  grave,  and  set  upright,  and 
round  the  top  of  it,  which  projected  3  feet  above  the  level 

1  Schweinfurth,  Heart  of  Africa,  Vol.  I,  p.  212. 

2  Heart  of  Africa,  Vol.  I,  p.  304. 


3 


Like  the  Egyptian  3    ;  compare  MM  ,   "  eternity." 


^  Heart  of  Africa,   Vol.   II,   p.   35  ;    Johnston,    George    Gre7ifell, 
Vol.  II,  p.  651. 


Osiris  and  the  African  Grave  87 

of  the  ground,  a  conical  mound  was  built ;  when  this  was 
covered  with  dry  thorny  branches,  the  grave  was 
complete.  Two  large  fires  were  kept  burning  at  the 
grave  day  and  night,  and  eight  or  ten  persons  kept  guard 
over  it  for  a  week.^ 

Among  the  Bahima  peasant  folk  are  buried  in  holes 
dug  at  the  doors  of  their  huts.^  Among  the  Banyoro  a 
king's  grave  is  dug  1 2  feet  deep,  and  5  feet  in  diameter  ;^ 
the  Basoga  grave  is  1 5  feet  deep.*  Thirty-six  kings  of 
Uganda  were  buried  each  on  a  wooden  bier  which  was 
set  on  the  ground  in  a  large  house,  with  a  huge  conical 
thatched  roof  resembling  a  pyramid  in  shape.  ^  The 
Baziba  grave  is  a  deep  narrow  pit,  just  large  enough  for 
the  body  to  stand  or  sit  in  f  the  Manyema  grave  is  a 
pit  10  feet  deep  and  10  feet  square."^  The  Karamojo  bury 
rich  men  in  their  own  houses.^  The  Shula  bury  the  dead 
in  pits  near  the  houses,  and  lay  on  them  stones  on  which 
offerings  are  placed.^  The  Madi  grave,  according  to 
Emin  Pasha,  is  circular,  and  is  5  feet  deep,  and  3  J  feet 
in  diameter.  ^*^ 

Of  the  cemetery  of  a  village  of  Mbinda,  Stanley  says  : 
The  grave  mounds  were  neat,  and  by  their  appearance 
I  should  judge  them  to  be  not  only  the  repositories  of  the 
dead,  but  also  the  depositories  of  all  the  articles  that  had 
belonged  to  the  dead.  Each  grave  was  dressed  out  with 
the  various  mugs,  pitchers,  wash-basins,  teapots,  kettles, 
glasses,  bottles,  etc.,  and  above  the  mound  thus  curiously 
decorated  were  suspended  by  the  branch  of  a  tree  the 
various  nets  of  palm  fibre  in  which  the  deceased  had 
carried  his  ground-nuts,  cassava  bread,  and  eatables. 
All  articles  had  been  rendered  useless,  i.e.,  broken. ^^  The 
grave  of  a  Lendu  chief  is  dug  in  his  hut,  and  one  end  of 
it  is  prolonged  into  a  tunnel  under  the  floor,  in  which  the 

1  Petherick,  Travels  in  Central  Africa,  pp.  271-273. 

-  Cunningham,  Uganda,  p.  11. 

^  Ibid.,  p.  30. 

*  Ibid.,  p.  117. 

^  For  a  picture  of  this  see  Cunningham's  work,  p.  251. 

^  Ibid.,  p.  284. 

^  Ibid.,  p.  314. 

^  Ibid.,  p.  344. 

^  Frobenius,  Die  Heiden-Neger,  p.  334. 
10  Ibid.,  p.  378. 
^^  Through  the  Dark  Continent,  Vol.  II,  p.  453. 


88       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

deceased  is  placed.^  In  Western  Africa  the  graves  of 
chiefs  and  kings  are  "nice  roomy  apartments  generally 
about  12  feet  by  8  feet  by  14  feet,  but  in  Benin,  I  am 
told,  the  graves  have  a  floor  about  16  feet  by  12  feet, 
with  sides  tapering  to  an  aperture  that  can  be  closed  by 
a  single  flag-stone."^  When  a  Bari  dies  he  is  buried  in 
the  yard.  A  few  ox-horns  and  skulls  are  suspended  on  a 
pole  above  the  spot,  while  the  top  of  the  pole  is  orna- 
mented with  a  bunch  of  cock's  feathers.^  In  Dahomey 
the  body  is  placed  in  a  niche  offsetting  from  a  circular  pit.* 
Battell,  who  wrote  at  the  close  of  the  sixteenth  century, 
says  that  the  African  grave  is  made  like  a  vault.  A  little 
way  down  the  pit  is  undermined  and  made  spacious 
within.^  The  Juiga  graves  are  merely  pits  covered  with 
mounds  of  stones,  on  which  are  placed  cooking  and 
drinking  vessels ;  they  are  made  by  the  sides  of 
frequented  paths,  and  the  points  where  cross  roads  touch 
are  favourite  burial  places.®  Around  the  grave  of 
Sekote,  a  Batoka  chief,  seventy  large  elephants'  tusks 
were  planted,  with  their  points  turned  inwards,  and  there 
were  thirty  more  set  over  the  resting-places  of  his 
relatives.''' 

The  Bangala  rarely  buried  anyone.  When  they  did 
commit  a  person  to  the  earth  the  grave  was  only  a  foot 
deep,  and  its  exterior  was  covered  with  provisions 
for  the  dead  man's  future  existence.  The  Manbattu 
buried  warriors  where  they  fell,  and  erected  huts  over 
their  graves,  to  which  friends  and  relatives^  brought 
baskets  of  provisions  and  jars  filled  with  water.  The 
Abarambo  chief,  Mburo,  thought  it  degrading  for  a  chief 
like  himself  to  be  brought  into  close  contact  with  the 
earth,  and,  therefore,  ordered  that  his  body  should  be 
placed  in  the  upper  part  of  a  great  tree  near  his  house, 
with  his   face   turned   towards  heaven.     This  is  related 

^  Johnston,  Ugatida  Protectorate,  Vol.  II,  p.  554. 
2  Kingsley,   JVest  African  Studies,  p.  452. 
2  Baker,  Albert  JSPyanza,  p.  58. 
*  Burton,  A  Mission  to  Gelele,  Vol.  II,  p.  164. 
^  Strange  Adventures,  p.  74. 
^  Livingstone,  Missionary  Travels,  p.  424. 
''  Jhid.,  p.  518. 

^  The  following  notes  are  from  Johnston,  George  Grenfell,  Vol.  II, 
p.  649. 


Osiris  and  the  African  Grave  89 

on  the  authority  of  Casati.  An  Ababua  killed  in  war  is 
cremated  to  prevent  his  body  being  eaten,  and  his  ashes 
are  carried  to  his  village  and  buried  there.  The  Bahuana 
grave  is  about  four  or  five  feet  deep,  and  a  small  hut  is 
erected  over  it.  Grenfell  notes  that  the  Bakete  mark  a 
grave  by  means  of  an  uprooted  tree  stuck  into  the  earth 
with  the  trunk  top  downwards. 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

African  Funeral  Ceremonies  and  Burials. 

The  tombs  of  Egypt  and  their  inscriptions  supply  an 
extraordinary  amount  of  information  about  the  funeral 
ceremonies  and  customs  of  the  Egyptians  from  the 
beginning  to  the  end  of  the  Dynastic  Period.  And  if 
we  compare  the  details  derived  from  these  sources  with 
the  facts  about  funerals  recorded  by  travellers  in  Africa, 
we  shall  find  that  whenever  material  means  permit,  and 
when  allowance  has  been  made  for  differences  in  the 
physical  products  of  the  country,  there  is  a  very  close 
resemblance  between  the  funeral  of  a  really  great 
modern  chief  in  Central  or  Western  Africa  and  that 
of  an  ancient  king  of  Egypt.  The  Egyptians  removed 
the  intestines  and  brain,  and  embalmed  the  body  with 
great  skill,  and  then  swathed  it  in  linen,  and  laid  it  in  a 
coffin  or  sarcophagus.  The  modern  African  removes 
the  more  perishable  parts  of  the  body  by  ways  which 
will  be  described  further  on,  and  dries  or  smokes  the 
corpse  very  effectively.  He  also  anoints  it  with 
unguents,  and  wraps  it  up  in  much  cloth,  and  then 
places  it  in  a  coffin  or  on  a  bier.  The  modern  African 
grave  contains  all  the  essentials  of  that  of  the  Egyptian, 
but  as  the  modern  African  is  not  a  skilled  mason,  and 
as  mountains  of  stone  are  not  always  available,  he  is 
obliged  to  make  almost  all  his  graves  in  the  earth.  The 
sacrifice  of  human  beings,  or  animals,  the  funeral  feast, 
the  pomp  and  ceremony,  the  wailings  and  the  noise  and 
the  dancing  which  accompanied  the  burial  of  a  king  of 
Egypt  are  all  paralleled  in  the  great  modern  African 
funeral.  The  Egyptian  king  built  his  funerary  chapel 
and  endowed  it,  and  made  arrangements  for  the  regular 
supply  of  sepulchral  offerings,  and  for  a  perpetual  service 
of  priests  to  recite  the  appointed  formulae  daily,  and  to 
make  all  the  necessary  preparations  for  the  commemora- 
tive festivals.  A  glance  at  the  history  of  Dahomey,  and 
of  Congo-land,  and  of  Uganda,  is  sufficient  to  show  that 


African  Burials  91 

the  kings  of  these  countries  made  exactly  similar  arrange- 
ments, and  it  is  becoming  clearer,  the  more  the  subject 
is  investigated,  that  the  beliefs  which  underlie  the 
funeral  ceremonies  of  Ancient  Egypt  and  the  Sudan 
are  identical.  In  some  cases  the  customs  of  the  ancient 
Egyptian  are  explained  by  those  of  the  modern  Sudani, 
and  in  their  light  certain  passages  in  early  Egyptian 
literature  receive  a  new  significance.  Of  this  the  follow- 
ing is  an  example  : — 

In  the  Liturgy  of  Funerary  Offerings^  which  is  found 
in  the  pyramid  of  Unas,  a  king  of  the  Vlth  dynasty,  we 
find  the  phrase  :  "  O  Unas,  thy  two  jawbones  which 
were  separated  have  been  established."  In  Chapter 
CXXXVIb  (1.  10)  of  the  Book  of  the  Dead  the 
deceased  says  :  "  I  have  come,  I  have  brought  to  him 
"  the  jawbones  in  Re-stau,  I  have  brought  to  him  the 
"  backbones  in  Anu."  In  Chapter  XCIX  (1.  27)  the 
deceased  says  that  the  god  is  equipped  and  that  he  is 
equipped  ;  that  the  god  is  provided  with  jawbones,  and 
that  he  is  provided  with  jawbones.  In  Chapter 
CLXXVIII  (1.  28)  it  is  said  to  the  deceased  :  "  Horus 
"  hath  avenged  thee,  he  hath  destroyed  the  jawbones"  of 
"  thine  enemies."  From  the  extract  from  the  Liturgy 
we  gather  that  some  unpleasant  thing  had  been  done 
with  the  jawbones  of  Unas,  and  that  owing  to  what  the 
priest  had  said  and  done  this  unpleasantness  had  been 
done  away.  And  from  the  passages  from  the  Book  of 
the  Dead  we  learn  that  jawbones  were  taken  to  Re-stau, 
that  the  deceased  rejoiced  in  his  jawbones,  and  that 
Horus  had  smitten  the  jawbones  of  his  enemies.  So 
far  as  I  know  there  is  no  Egyptian  text  which  explains 
the  allusion  to  the  jawbones  in  any  one  of  these  passages, 
and  it  is  not  until  we  examine  the  funeral  customs  of 
the  modern  Sudani  tribes  that  we  gain  any  inkling  as  to 
their  meaning.  When  a  king  of  Uganda  died  the  body 
was  handed  over  to  the  official  executioner  and  to  the 
keeper  of  the  royal  tombs,  and  it  was  taken  to  the 
country  of  Emerera,  where  it  was  placed  in  a  house. 
The  under  jaw  of  the  dead  king  was  then  cut  off  and 


2    - 


^  ^ 


1  Ed.  Budge,  p.  65.  Arft,  ^^  ^ 


92       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

placed  in  a  wooden  dish,  and  the  executioner  having 
caused  a  kibuga,  or  enclosure  containing  a  few  houses, 
to  be  built,  deposited  the  jaw  in  one  of  the  houses,  and 
appointed  the  chief  who  built  the  kihiga  to  be  its 
guardian.  Before  the  jaw  was  finally  installed,  it  was 
decorated  with  kauri  shells.  No  king  of  Uganda  before 
Mtesa  had  been  buried  with  his  under  jaw  in  its 
natural  place,  ^  and  before  he  died  he  ordered  all  the 
jawbones  of  the  kings  to  be  collected  and  buried.  The 
Wahuma  dried  their  kings  for  months,  till  they  were 
like  sun-dried  meat,  before  they  buried  them,  and  they 
cut  out  the  lower  jaws,  and  covered  them  with  beads  and 
preserved  them.^  Among  other  objects  brought  at  the 
celebration  of  the  "  So-sin  Custom "  of  the  king  of 
Dahomey  was  the  Agranhohwe,  or  "jaw  umbrella,"  the 
white  top  and  lappets  of  which  were  thickly  studded 
with  human  jawbones.^  Skertchley  says  that  the  jaw- 
bones are  84  in  number,  and  that  they  are  arranged 
chevronwise.*  In  Ashantee,  before  the  return  of  the 
army,  the  general  in  command  sends  to  the  capital  the 
jawbones  of  the  enemies  who  have  been  slain. ^ 

Thus  we  see  that  the  Baganda  and  other  modern 
African  peoples  cut  out  the  jawbones  of  their  dead  kings 
and  preserved  them  with  honour,  and  the  passage  in  the 
text  of  King  Unas  suggests  that  the  Egyptians  must 
have  treated  the  jawbones  of  their  dead  kings  in 
primitive  times  in  a  somewhat  similar  manner.  Now 
the  cult  of  Osiris  prohibited  the  mutilation  of  the  human 
body,  and  therefore  the  custom  of  cutting  out  the 
jawbones  became  obsolete.  And  the  statement  that 
Horus  destroyed  the  jawbones  of  the  enemies  of  the 
deceased  is  illustrated  by  the  custom  in  Ashantee  and 
Dahomey  of  wrenching  the  jawbones  from  the  heads  of 
dead  foes  and  sending  them  to  the  kings.  It  may  be 
noted  in  passing  that  Frobenius  figures  a  trumpet 
ornamented  with  human  jawbones,  and  that  he  refers  to 
a  curious  use  made  of  the  lower  jawbone  by  the  New 

^  Cunningham,  Uganda,  p.  226, 

2  Speke,  y^ourna/,  p.  394. 

2  Burton,  A  Mission  to  Gelele,  Vol.  II,  p.  53. 

*  Dahomey  as  It  is,  p.  259. 

^  Ramseyer  and  Kiihne,  Pour  Years  in  Ashanti,  p.  115. 


African  Burials  93 

Pomeranians.^  Colonel  Ellis  notes  that  the  Awunas,  an 
Eastern  Ewe  tribe,  say  that  the  lower  jaw  is  the  only 
part  of  the  body  which  a  child  derives  from  its  mother,^ 
and  he  mentions  horns  decorated  with  human  jaws. 
It  will  have  been  noticed  that  the  word  used  in  Egyptian 
for  jawbones  is  a7'ti,  and  that  it  is  in  the  dual,  and  is 
determined  by  two  jawbones  ^..^  ^,^^ ,  but  I  believe 
that  the  lower  jawbone  only  is  referred  to.  Some 
ancient  peoples  believed  that  the  lower  jawbone  con- 
sisted of  two  bones  which  were  joined  at  the  chin,  and 
'Abd  al-Latif,  the  famous  physician  who  flourished  in 
the  fourteenth  century  of  our  era,  spent  a  good  deal  of 
time  in  examining  skulls  in  Egypt,  in  order  to  be  able  to 
refute  by  personal  observation  the  opinion  of  those  who 
held  this  view.  The  determinatives  of  the  Egyptian 
word  suggest  that  the  primitive  Egyptians  agreed  on 
this  point  with  the  opponents  of  Abd  al-Latif.^ 

Some  interesting  light  also  is  thrown  on  the  umbilical 
cord  and  phallus  of  Osiris  by  customs  concerning  the 
preservation  of  these  things  which  obtained  until  quite 
recently  among  the  people  of  Uganda.  In  Chapter  XVII 
of  the  Book  of  the  Dead  (1.  39  f )  we  read  : — "  I  have 
"  done  away  my  impurity,  I  have  destroyed  the  evil  things 
"  in  me."  The  commentary  says  :  "  What  does  this 
mean  ?  "  The  answer  is  :"  It  is  the  cutting  off  of  the 
*'  umbilical  cord"*^  of  the  Osiris,  the  scribe  Ani,  triumphant 
"  before  all  the  gods,  and  the  driving  away  of  all  the  evil 
"  things  which  belong  to  him."  The  commentary  says  : 
"What  does  this  mean.'*"  The  answer  is:  "It  is  the 
purification  [which  takes  place]  on  the  day  of  his  birth." 
From  this  we  learn  that  the  umbilical  cord  of  Osiris  was 

^   Childhood  of  Ma7i,  pp.  6i,  167  and  174. 

2  The    Yorub  asp  caking  Peoples,  p.  131  ;  The  Tshi-speaking  Peoples, 

P-  257- 

^  See  the  translation  of  De  Sacy,  p.  419  ff.  Tous  les  anatomistes 
s'accordent  a  dire  que  cette  machoire  est  composee  de  deux  os  qui  sont 

fermement  reunis  vers  le  menton nous  avons  employe 

toute  sorte  de  moyens  pour  nous  assurer  de  la  verite,  et  nous  n'y  avons 
jamais  reconnu  qu'un  seul  os. 


I  I  I 

VOL.    II.  H 


94       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

cut  off,  and  that  this  cutting  symbolized  an  act  of  purifi- 
cation whereby  the  god  was  freed  at  his  birth  from 
impurity.  In  the  Westcar  Papyrus  we  are  told  that 
when  the  three  sons  of  Rut-tetet  were  born,  the  four 
Meskhenit  goddesses  who  were  present  at  their  birth 
washed  in  turn  each  child,  cut  off  his  umbilical  cord,  and 
placed  it  in  a  four-sided  cloth  which  was  laid  in  a  stone 
box.^  From  the  fact  that  the  goddesses  preserved  the 
cord  and  wrapped  it  up  in  cloth  and  laid  it  in  a  box  we 
are  justified  in  assuming  that  they  attached  great  import- 
ance to  it,  and  that  they  intended  to  preserve  it.  Now 
Osiris  was  a  king  from  his  birth,  and  the  three  sons  of 
Rut  tetet  were  destined  to  become  kings,  and  it  Is  there- 
fore clear  that  under  the  Ancient  Empire,  and  long 
before,  the  Egyptians  were  in  the  habit  of  preserving 
the  umbilical  cords  of  kings  and  great  personages. 
What  they  did  with  them  the  texts  do  not  say,  but  the 
customs  of  Uganda  and  Unyoro  throw  some  light  on  the 
matter,  for  the  Baganda  and  Banyoro  have  been  in  the 
habit  of  preserving  the  umbilical  cords  of  kings  for 
untold  generations.  Thus  Speke  tells  us  :  ''  The  umbilical 
cords  are  preserved  from  birth,  and,  at  death,  those  of 
men  are  placed  within  the  door-frame,  while  those  of 
women  are  buried  without,  this  last  act  corresponding 
with  the  custom  of  the  Wahiyow."^  Mr.  Cunningham 
describes  an  interview  between  King  Mtesa  and  the 
Namasole,  or  Queen  Mother,  who  sat  side  by  side  on  a 
sofa.  An  attendant  brought  to  her  the  king's  umbilical 
cord,  and  having  taken  it  and  held  it  for  a  moment  in 
her  hand,  she  placed  it  on  the  couch  by  her  side.^  The 
reason  for  preserving  the  cord  is  given  by  Mr.  C.  W. 
Hattersley,  who  says  that  the  umbilical  cords  of  kings 
are  kept  in  receptacles  called  Balongo.  Each  umbilical 
cord  is  attached  to  a  wooden  frame  beautifully  covered 
with  beads,  and  when  its  owner  dies  his  spirit  enters  the 


(1  fe  .^-n  "^  |\    "^     O  ^  ,  ed.  Erman,  Plate  X,  1.  12  ff. 
1     w  '      _S^   _Sr  Ji  DMl 

2  Speke,  Journal  of  the  Discovery,  p.  394. 
^   Uganda,  p.  190. 


African  Burials  95 

wooden  frame,  and   lives  there  with   the  cord  for  ever.^ 
If  the  frame  be  destroyed  the  spirit  departs. 

The  investigations  made  in  Uganda  by  the  Rev.  J. 
Roscoe  supply  a  number  of  most  important  facts  about 
the  preservation  of  the  lower  jawbone,  umbilical  cord  and 
phallus  of  kings  in  Uganda. '^  He  says  :  "  The  cord 
seems  to  be  to  the  afterbirth  what  the  lower  jawbone  is 
to  the  person  to  whom  it  belonged  ;  that  is,  the  ghost 
of  the  person  attaches  itself  to  the  jawbone  after  death, 
and  the  ghost  of  the  afterbirth  attaches  itself  to  the  bit 
of  cord.  Every  person  is  born  with  a  double,  viz.,  the 
afterbirth,  which  has  its  ghost,  and  the  umbilical  cord  in 
some  way  connects  the  ghost  of  the  afterbirth  with  the 
living  child  ....  At  the  ceremony  of  naming  the 
child  the  bit  of  umbilical  cord  is  brought  out  and  dropped 
into  a  bowl  containing  a  mixture  of  beer,  milk,  and 
water.  If  the  cord  floats  the  child  is  legitimate  and  the 
clan  accepts  it  as  a  member  ;  should  the  cord  sink  the 
child  is  disowned  by  the  clan  and  the  woman  is  punished 
for  adultery.  The  cord  is  either  preserved  by  the  clan 
or  buried  at  the  roots  of  the  plantain  tree  with  the  after- 
birth. In  the  case  of  princes  the  cord  is  carefully 
preserved,  and  the  fortunate  prince  who  becomes  king  has 
the  cord  decorated  and  made  into  a  "twin"  (mulongo). 
This  is  kept  by  the  Kimbugwe,  who  each  month,  after 
the  new  moon  appears,  brings  in  the  "twin"  wrapped 
up  in  bark-cloth  to  the  king,  who  holds  it  for  a  moment 
or  two  and  then  returns  it  to  him.  It  is  carried  in  state 
to  the  Kimbugwe's  enclosure,  drums  are  beaten  in  the 
procession,  and  the  "  twin  "  is  honoured  as  a  king. 
When  it  is  returned  to  its  house  it  is  not  put  inside,  but 
is  placed  by  the  door  and  guarded  all  night ;  next 
morning  the  Kimbugwe  comes  and  rubs  butter  on  it, 
and  restores  it  to  its  usual  place  inside  the  temple  or  hut. 
The  jawbone  and  the  umbilical  cord  must  always  be  kept 
together  to  fulfil  the  requirements  of  the  ghosts  after  the 
death  of  the  king. 

The  stool  on  which  the  god  Kibuka  sits  is  also  of 

^     Hattersley,  The  Baganda  at  Home,  1908,  pp.  14,  15. 

^  See  Journal  Inst.  Anthropological  Society,  Vol.  XXXI,  p.  117  ff. ; 
Vol.  XXXII,  p.  25  ff. ;  and  Kibuka,  the  War  God  of  the  Baganda,  in 
Man,  No.  95,  1907,  p.  161  ff. 

H    2 


96       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

interest  in  connection  with  Osiris.  Instead  of  the  usual 
seat  there  is  a  basin  8  inches  in  diameter,  and  4  inches 
deep,  fitted  into  this.  In  this  basin  were  kept  the  lower 
jawbone  of  the  god,  stitched  into  a  leather  case,  and  with 
this  were  two  smaller  leather  cases  containing  the  genital 
organs  ;  each  case  is  decorated  with  shells  and  beads. 
These  were  put  in  a  bag  tied  with  string  made  from  the 
fibre  of  aloes,  which  was  placed  in  the  basin  on  the  stool. 
The  whole  stool  with  its  contents  stands  22  inches  high.^ 
Now  if  we  look  at  the  vignettes  in  papyri  of  the  Book 
of  the  Dead  we  shall  find  that  in  most  cases  the  side  of 
the  seat,  or  stool,  of  the  god  is  made  to  resemble  the 
front  of  a  tomb,  and  that  the  doors,  with  their  bolts, 
resemble  those  which  are  painted  on  sepulchral  coffers 
and  chests  which  contain  ushabtiu  figures  and  the  viscera 
of  the  dead.  In  other  words,  Osiris  sits  upon  what  is 
intended  to  represent  a  sepulchral  coffer.  And  if  the 
stool  of  Osiris  were  a  sepulchral  coffer  it  must  have 
contained  some  portions  of  the  body  of  the  god,  and 
such  portions  might  well  have  been  his  genital  organs 
and  his  lower  jawbone,  as  was  the  case  with  Kibuka, 
the  War-god  of  the  Baganda.  At  all  events,  the  custom 
followed  by  the  Baganda  in  respect  of  the  stool  of 
Kibuka  certainly  throws  some  light  on  the  stool  or 
throne  of  Osiris  and  its  sepulchral  character.  The  texts 
are  silent  as  to  the  fate  of  the  phallus  of  Osiris,  and 
•Greek  writers,  being  ignorant  of  the  customs  of  the 
Sudan,  state  that  it  was  never  found,  and  that  I  sis  made 
a  model  of  it  which  was  worshipped  in  the  temples. 
Allusions  to  the  phallus  of  Osiris  and  the  phallus  of  Ra 
occur  in  the  Book  of  the  Dead,"  and  we  may  be  certain 
that  the  phallus  of  Osiris  must  have  played  a  very 
prominent  part  in  the  beliefs  of  the  Egyptians  con- 
cerning the  resurrection,  otherwise  the  phallus  of  the 
deceased  would  not  have  been  identified  with  Osiris  in 
the  Chapter  of  the  Deification  of  Members  of  the  body 
(Chapter  XLII). 

1  See  the  illustration  to  Mr.  Roscoe's  paper  in  MaJi. 
1, 143  ;  XCIII,  2,  3,  that  of  Beba,  ?  ^ 
is  mentioned  in  XCIX,  Introduction,  I.  17. 


African  Burials  97 

The  chief  authorities  for  the  methods  of  procedure 
followed  in  funerals  by  the  Egyptians  are  the  bas-reliefs 
and  paintings  which  decorate  the  tombs  of  their  nobles, 
especially  those  which  belong  to  the  period  of  the  New 
Empire,  say  from  B.C.  1600  to  B.C.  600.  Of  special 
importance  are  the  tombs  of  Western  Thebes,  for  whole 
series  of  funerary  scenes  still  remain  in  them  in  a 
wonderful  state  of  preservation.  Most  valuable  evidence 
is  also  supplied  by  such  works  as  the  Liturgy  of  Funerary 
Offerings  and  the  Book  of  Opening  the  Mouth,  which  are 
well  illustrated  by  the  scenes  depicted  on  the  walls  of  the 
tombs  of  Rekh-ma-Ra  (XVIIIth  dynasty),  Seti  I 
(XlXth  dynasty),  and  Amen-em-Ap  (XXVIth  dynasty). 
Also  the  vignettes  of  the  great  illustrated  copies  of  the 
Theban  Recension  of  the  Book  of  the  Dead,  e.g.,  the 
Papyri  of  Nebseni,  Nu,  luau,  Ani,  Hunefer,  Anhai, 
Nesi-ta-neb-Asher,  etc.,  and  the  Rubrics,  describe  and 
explain  many  interesting  customs  and  ceremonies.  When 
these  authorities  are  examined,  and  the  information  given 
by  them  generally  is  compared  with  the  descriptions  of 
comparatively  modern  African  funerals  and  methods 
of  sepulture  given  below,  the  similarity  in  both  customs 
and  ceremonies  will  be  found  to  be  so  marked  that  it  is 
impossible  not  to  conclude  that  they  are  the  result  of 
beliefs  which  are  common  to  the  ancient  Egyptians  and 
to  modern  Sudani  tribes.  This  similarity  is  due  not  to 
any  borrowing  by  the  Sudani  tribes  from  the  Egyptians, 
but  to  indigenous,  fundamental  African  beliefs  which 
have  remained  unchanged  in  all  essentials  from  the  end 
of  the  Neolithic  Period  in  Egypt  until  the  present  day. 

The  Burial  of  Kamrasi,  king  of  Unyoro. — 
Immediately  after  the  death  of  Kamrasi,  his  body  was 
laid  upon  a  framework  of  green  wood,  like  a  gigantic 
gridiron,  over  a  slow  fire,  until  it  was  quite  dry  and 
resembled  "  an  over-roasted  hare."  It  was  then  wrapped 
in  new  bark-cloths,  and  made  to  lie  in  state  in  a  large 
house  which  had  been  specially  built  for  the  purpose. 
As  long  as  the  succession  to  the  throne  is  undecided,  the 
body  remains  unburied,  but  as  soon  as  the  victor  in  the  civil 
war,  which  breaks  out  on  the  king's  death,  is  hailed  as 
king,  he  goes  into  the  house  where  his  father's  body  lies, 
and,  standing  near  it,  drives  his  spear  into  the  ground, 


98       Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

and  leaves  it  near  the  right  hand  of  the  king.  The 
victor  next  buries  his  father,  A  huge  pit,  capable  of 
holding  several  hundred  people,  is  dug,  and  neatly  lined 
with  new  bark-cloths.  Several  wives  of  the  late  king 
are  made  to  seat  themselves  together  at  the  bottom,  to 
bear  upon  their  knees  the  body  of  their  departed  lord. 
On  the  night  previous  to  the  funeral,  the  king's  own 
regiment,  or  bodyguard,  surrounds  many  dwellings  and 
villages,  and  seizes  indiscriminately  the  people  as  they  go 
out  in  the  early  morning.  They  are  taken  to  the  mouth 
of  the  pit,  and,  when  their  arms  and  legs  have  been 
broken  with  clubs,  they  are  thrown  into  it,  on  the  top  of 
the  king's  body  and  his  wives. 

A  mighty  din  of  drums,  horns,  flageolets,  whistles, 
mingled  with  the  yells  of  a  frantic  crowd,  drowns  the 
shrieks  of  the  sufferers,  upon  whom  the  earth  is  shovelled 
and  stamped  down  by  thousands  of  cruel  fanatics,  who 
dance  and  jump  upon  the  loose  mould  so  as  to  form  it 
into  a  compact  mass,  through  which  the  victims  of  this 
horrid  sacrifice  cannot  grope  their  way,  the  precaution 
having  been  taken  to  break  the  bones  of  their  arms  and 
legs.  At  length  the  mass  is  buried  and  trodden  down 
beneath  a  tumulus  of  earth,  and  all  is  still.  The  funeral 
is  over.^ 

According  to  Mr.  Cunningham,  the  grave  of  an 
Unyoro  king  was  five  feet  in  diameter  and  twelve  feet 
deep.  The  king's  bodyguard  seized  the  first  nine 
Unyoro  men  they  met,  and  threw  them  alive  into 
the  pit.  The  body  of  the  king  was  then  wrapped  in 
bark-cloth,  and  sewn  up  in  the  skin  of  a  cow  newly 
killed,  and  let  down  into  the  pit.  Another  cow-skin  was 
stretched  tightly  across  the  opening,  and  pegged  down 
all  round  ;  a  covering  of  grass  was  laid  over  the  skin, 
and  a  temple  was  built  over  the  grave.  A  headman  was 
appointed  watcher,  and  some  of  the  dead  king's  servants 
were  ordered  to  live  there,  they  and  their  descendants 
after  them,  and  food  was  supplied  as  a  matter  of  course 
by  the  people.  The  position  of  the  dead  body  was  the 
same  for  king  and  peasant.  The  body  lay  on  its  left 
side,  with  the  hands,  the  palms  facing,  under  the  head, 
and  the  legs  drawn  up  to  the  body.  The  poor  people 
^  Baker,  Ismailia,  p.  316. 


African  Burials  99 

were  wrapped  in  grass,  and  spirit-houses  were  built  over 
their  graves.^ 

Dagara's  Burial. — When  Dagara,  king  of  Karague, 
was  dead,  the  people  sewed  his  body  up,  as  was  the 
custom  in  the  case  of  kings,  in  a  cow-skin,  and  placed  it 
in  a  boat  floating  on  the  lake,  where  it  remained  for 
three  days,  until  decomposition  set  in,  and  maggots  were 
engendered.  Then  it  was  taken  up  and  deposited  on 
the  hill  Moga-Namirinzi,  where,  instead  of  putting  him 
underground,  the  people  erected  a  hut  over  him,  and, 
thrusting  in  five  maidens  and  fifty  cows,  enclosed  the 
doorway  in  such  a  manner  that  the  whole  of  them 
subsequently  died  of  starvation.  Rohinda  the  Sixth, 
father  of  Dagara,  was  buried  in  the  same  way.  Out  of 
his  heart  a  young  lion  emerged,  which  guarded  the  hill 
and  was  the  ancestor  of  all  the  lions  in  Karao-ue  !  These 
lions  became  subject  to  Dagara,  and  whenever  he  went 
to  war  he  took  an  army  formed  of  them  instead  of  men, 
and  was  always  victorious.^  Rumanika,  son  of  Dagara, 
sacrificed  a  cow  yearly  at  his  father's  grave,  and  placed 
pombe  and  grain  on  it,  because  he  thought  they  would 
secure  for  him  good  crops  in  the  coming  year.^ 

The  Bongo  Burial. — The  dead  body  is  placed  in 
a  crouching  position,  with  the  knees  forced  up  to  the  chin, 
and  is  firmly  bound  round  the  head  and  legs.  It  is  then 
sewn  up  in  a  skin  sack  and  placed  in  a  deep  grave.  The 
faces  of  men  are  turned  towards  the  north  and  those  of 
women  towards  the  south.* 

The  Niam-Niam  Burial. — The  dead  body  is 
adorned,  as  if  for  a  festival,  with  skins  and  feathers. 
It  is  usually  dyed  with  red  wood.  Men  of  rank  have 
their  aprons  fastened  to  them,  and  they  are  buried 
either  sitting  on  their  beds  or  enclosed  in  a  kind  of 
coffin  which  is  made  from  a  hollow  tree.  The  earth  is 
not  allowed  to  touch  the  body,  which  is  placed  in  a 
specially  prepared  niche  in  the  grave.  The  men  have 
their  faces  turned  towards  the  east,  and  the  women's  are 

I   Uganda,  pp.  30,  31. 

-  Speke,  Journal,  p.  181.  Of  the  maggots  of  Dagara  three  were 
taken  to  the  palace,  where  they  turned  into  a  hon,  a  leopard,  and  a 
stick. 

^  Ibid.,  p.  197. 

''  Schweinfurth,  Heart  of  Africa,  Vol.  I,  p.  303. 


loo     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

towards  the  west.^  The  relatives  shave  their  heads  and 
destroy  their  headdresses. 

The  Moro  Burial. — The  uncovered  body  was 
carried  to  the  grave  on  a  strong  wicker  frame  ;  a  number 
of  mourning  women  went  in  front,  and  the  wives  went 
behind,  and  women  chanted  to  the  tom-toms.  On  the 
way  many  of  the  wives  turned  somersaults,  and  tried 
to  throw  themselves  into  the  grave.  The  body  was  laid 
on  its  right  side,  in  a  bent  position,  as  if  asleep.  A 
ligament  of  bark  was  tied  to  the  little  finger  of  the  left 
hand,  and  the  other  extremity  was  drawn  to  the  surface, 
and  there  attached  to  a  peg  driven  in  the  ground.  This 
was  to  enable  the  dead  man  to  communicate  with  his 
children.  The  grave  was  filled  up  and  a  mound  raised 
over  it,  with  a  pole  in  the  centre,  to  the  top  of  which 
was  fastened  the  falcon's  feather  which  was  worn  by  the 
deceased  when  alive.  The  women  threw  their  ornaments 
on  the  grave,  and  the  relatives  and  friends  of  the 
deceased  proceeded  to  hack  in  pieces  with  a  spear  the 
carcases  of  two  bulls  and  to  eat  them.^ 

The  Bahima  Burial. — The  dead  body  is  washed, 
and  the  arms  and  legs  are  doubled  up  against  it  by 
breaking  the  joints  ;  the  neck  is  broken,  and  the  head  is 
bent  over  the  chest.  The  body  is  then  tied  up  in  a  mat, 
forming  a  sort  of  bundle,  and  buried  in  the  great  village 
manure  heap,  within  eight  or  ten  hours  after  death.  An 
ordinary  man  is  buried  in  a  hole  dug  at  the  door  of  his 
hut.^ 

The  Banabuddu  Burial. — The  male  relatives  stand 
on  the  right-hand  side  of  the  body,  and  the  females  on 
the  left,  and  then,  beginning  with  the  head,  smear  it 
with  butter  ;  it  is  then  wrapped  round  with  bark  cloth, 
and  carried  to  the  grave  in  the  neighbouring  garden. 
The  clay  all  round  the  grave  must  be  pushed  in  with  the 
elbows,  and  not  with  the  hands  and  feet.* 

1  Schweinfurth,  op.  cit.,  Vol.  II,  p.  34 ;  Johnston,  George  Grenfell, 
Vol.  II,  p.  650. 

2  Petherick,  Travels,  p.  270  ff.  Dr.  Brownell  was  buried  in  a  grave 
in  an  ant  hill,  fully  four  feet  deep,  with  a  niche  for  the  body,  which  was 
protected  from  contact  with  the  earth  by  means  of  several  sticks  which 
covered  the  opening  of  the  niche.     Ibid.,  p.  140. 

2  Cunningham,  Uganda,  p.  10. 
*  Ibid.,  p.  67. 


African  Burials  loi 

The  Basoga  Burial. — The  body  is  first  rubbed 
with  pulp  made  from  the  banana  tree,  and  whilst  this  is 
being  done  no  one  must  be  present  as  witness  of  the 
operation.  It  is  then  rolled  up  in  bark  cloth  and  laid  in 
a  grave  15  feet  deep,  dug  in  the  deceased's  house.  All 
the  bark  cloth  which  the  relatives  can  get  is  stuffed 
into  the  grave,  which  is  sometimes  filled  to  the  mouth 
with  this  material  ;  earth  is  then  thrown  on  top  and 
stamped  down  flat.  As  soon  as  the  grave  is  filled 
up  the  women  leave  the  house,  and  having  shut  it 
up  it  remains  unoccupied,  and  eventually  tumbles 
down.^ 

The  Basoga  perform  a  curious  ceremony  in  connec- 
tion with  a  man  who  dies  away  from  home.  The 
relatives  go  into  the  bush  and  bring  oiht  a  branch  or  long 
reed.  This  is  thrown  on  the  ground,  and  they  say  to  it, 
having  called  out  the  dead  man's  name,  "  We  have  come 
to  bring  you  home  for  burial."  The  branch  or  reed  is 
then  wrapped  in  bark  cloth  and  carried  home,  and,  when 
news  is  brought  into  the  village  that  it  is  approaching, 
the  women  scream  and  wail  until  the  branch  is  laid  in 
the  grave.  The  usual  funeral  ceremonies  are  then 
observed.  In  some  places  in  Basoga  the  head  of  the 
dead  person  is  washed,  and  his  lips  are  smeared  with  oil,^ 
which  calls  to  mind  one  of  the  ceremonies  in  the  Book 
of  Opening  the  Mouth,  in  which  the  mouth  of  the 
deceased  was  anointed  with  oil  by  the  Egyptians. 

Formerly,  before  European  influence  modified  any 
of  the  customs  of  the  country,  the  successor  of  a  dead 
king  of  Bukole,  a  district  of  Basoga,  sent  a  large  number 
of  soldiers  to  range  the  country  for  miles  round  the 
chiefs  village,  and  slay  any  person  they  met.  During 
the  raid  every  attempt  was  made  to  capture  a  young 
man  and  a  girl.  On  the  second  day  after  the  chiefs 
death  they  were  killed,  their  pudenda  were  removed, 
and  together  with  those  of  a  bull,  were  put  into  the 
interior  of  a  large  fetish  drum  called  *'  Kideye."  The 
hole  in  the  drum  through  which  this  tribute  had  been 
inserted  was   sown    up,   and    the    drum    was    beaten    to 

^  Johnston,    Uganda  Protectorate,  Vol.   II,   p.    715;  Cunningham, 
Uganda,  p.  117. 

^  Johnston,  op.  cit.,  Vol.  II,  p.  718. 


I02     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

announce  the  chiefs  death. ^  Similar  mutilations  of  a 
young  man  and  a  girl  were  made  in  order  to  make 
a  sacrifice  to  the  sacred  stream  on  the  death  of  a  chief. 
Sometimes  the  man  and  maid  after  mutilation  were 
thrown  into  the  Nagua  River  as  a  sacrifice  to  the  water 
spirit. 

Burial  of  Kings  in  Uganda. — Formerly  the  dead 
kinor  was  carried  to  Emerera  and  dried,  and  when  the 
lower  jaw  had  been  cut  out,^  it  was  wrapped  up  in  many 
layers  of  bark  cloth,  and  placed  on  a  bedstead  which 
stood  on  the  floor  of  a  large  new  house,  with  a  conical 
thatched  roof.  The  door  was  then  shut  and  was  never 
opened  again.  The  king's  cook,  the  headman  of  the 
beer-pots,  and  chief  herdsman  of  the  king's  cows,  and 
three  women  of  rank  equivalent  to  these,  were  seized, 
and  drao-oed  before  the  door  of  the  closed  tomb  and 
slaughtered.  The  bodies  were  not  buried,  but  left  for 
the  vultures  to  eat.^ 

The  Basukuma  Burial. — A  king  or  chief  is 
wrapped  up  in  an  ox-skin  and  buried  in  a  sitting 
position.  Ordinary  folk  are  wrapped  up  in  the  leaves  of 
the  nghali  tree,  and  buried  in  the  centre  of  the  kraal. 
At  the  funeral  of  a  chief  the  people  mourn  for  two  days, 
and  then  eat  the  ox,  in  the  skin  of  which  the  chief  is 
buried.* 

The  Manyema  Burial. — A  chief  is  burled  in  a 
square  pit  lo  feet  deep,  wrapped  in  bark  cloth.  At  the 
bottom  of  the  grave  ten  living  women  with  their  arms 
and  legs  broken  are  laid,  and  on  them  the  chief  is  placed  ; 
ten  men,  with  their  arms  and  legs  broken,  are  next 
brought  and  laid  on  top  of  the  chief.^  The  grave  is  then 
filled  up  with  earth,  and  the  burial  is  complete. 

The  Lendu  Burial. — The  body  of  a  chief  is,  by 
means  of  many  strips  of  bark  cloth,  made  to  take  a 
sitting  position,  and  is  then  placed  on  a  bed  of  skins 
inside  a  tunnel-like  excavation  in  the  grave,  which  is  dug 

^  Johnston,  Uganda  Protectorate,  Vol.  II,  p.  716. 

2  The  body  was  placed  on  a  board  which  rested  on  the  mouth  of 
an  earthen  pot  heated  by  fire  from  below.  The  drying  process  lasted 
three  months. — Speke,  y(?z^r/2a/,  p.  207. 

2  Cunningham,  Uganda,  p.  226. 

*  Cunningham,  Uganda,  p.  307. 

5  Ibid.,  p.  314. 


African  Burials  lo 


o 


inside  the  hut  of  the  deceased.  This  hut,  with  some- 
times the  whole  village  in  which  it  is  situated,  is  then 
abandoned.^  Ordinary  folk  are  buried  immediately  after 
death  near  the  side  wall  of  the  hut.  The  body  is  put 
into  the  earth  naked,  and  no  coffin  of  any  sort  is  used. 
The  Alulu  tribe  wrap  the  body  in  the  skin  of  a  freshly 
killed  bull  or  cow.  Over  the  grave  of  a  chief  a  tree  is 
sometimes  planted.^ 

The  Senga  Burial. — When   a   man  dies  everyone 
utters    mournful    cries.     The    body    is   washed,  clothed, 
decorated  with  beads,  and  wrapped  up  in  a  piece  of  calico 
soaked   in  saffron.     Then   it   is    left  two   days,  when  it 
begins  to  decompose.       It  is  then  placed  in    a   bag  of 
rushes  of  three  layers,  and  buried  in  a  hole  in  the  ground 
of  the  hut  about  five  feet  deep,  and  covered  over  with 
thorns  and  earth.    On  the  grave  they  put  a  large  earthen- 
ware urn  containing  a  little  flour,  while  a  roast  chicken  is 
placed  by  the  side  of  it.     The   natives  clap  their  hands 
by  way  of  adieu,  and  abandon  the  hut,  and  everyone  who 
has  touched  the  body  goes  and  washes  in  the  river.    The 
members  of  the  family  cut  their  hair,  and  deposit  the 
cuttings  in  a  place  where  two  roads   meet ;  they  put  on 
black  beads,  and  if  possible  black  clothes.     Three  months 
after  the  death  the   friends  assemble  for  a  great  feast. 
Having  prepared  a  large  quantity  of  beer,  they  take  it 
to  the  hut   in  which  is  the  grave,  and   digging  a  large 
hole  outside,  they  set  down  in  it  a  pot  of  beer,  covering 
it  with  a  plate,  on  which  they  sprinkle  a  little  flour.    Then 
they  go  into  the  hut,  taking  with  them   a  sheep.     They 
remove  the  urn  which  was  placed  over  the  head  of  the 
grave,  dig  a  little  hole  and  pour  in   beer  ;  they  also  kill 
the   sheep,   and  let   the    blood  run  down  into  the  hole. 
They  take  the  sheep  outside,  shut  the  door,  and  eat  the 
carcase,  and  then  they  wash  their  hands  in  the  pot  of  beer 
which  they  have   left  outside.     One   of  the  dead  man's 
wives,   who   is  called  the   "spirit"   (musimo)   is   carried 
away  on  a  man's  shoulders,  and  they  give  her  beer  which 
she  drinks  under  her  veil.     They  next  go  to  the  hut  of 
the  chief  widow,  where  a  large   hole  has  been  dug  and 
cemented  ;  in  this  they  pour  the  beer,  and  lie   down  on 

^  Johnston,    Uganda  Protectorate,  Vol.  II,  p.  555. 
-  Cunningham,  Uganda,  p.  337. 


I04     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

their  bellies  and  drink  it.  A  great  feast  follows,  with 
dancing  and  music. ^ 

The  Lower  Niger  Burial. — In  the  case  of  a  king 
or  chief,  the  body  is  smeared  with  a  decoction  of  certain 
plants,  and  then  rubbed  over  with  camwood  oil  and  spirit, 
and  wrapped  in  mats.  The  favourite  method  is  to  smoke- 
dry  the  body.  Bodies  are  usually  buried  in  the  earth, 
but  the  Andoni  use  mud  altars  and  platforms  in  trees  ;  in 
graves  the  bodies  are  just  laid  flat  upon  the  ground. 
The  possessions  of  the  deceased  are  buried  with  him,  as 
well  as  the  sacrificial  victims,  both  human  and  animal.* 

The  Wanyamwesi  Burial. — When  the  last  Sultan, 
Mkasiwah,  died,  they  dug  a  large  pit,  in  which  they 
placed  the  chief  in  a  large  bark  box,  in  a  sitting  posture, 
with  one  hand  at  his  face  and  one  of  the  fingers  of  the 
other  pointing  upward ;  beside  him  were  placed  two 
living  men  and  two  living  women,  and  then  the  whole 
was  covered  over.  They  look  upon  the  graves  of  their 
chiefs  as  sacred,  and  carry  food  and  pray  there.^ 

The  Fjort  Burial. — The  dead  body  is  dried  over  a 
smoky  fire,  and  is  then  wrapped  up  in  endless  lengths  of 
cloth  accordinof  to  the  wealth  of  the  deceased  ;  and  after 
some  months  it  is  buried.  When  a  king  dies  the  body 
is  smoked  and  watched,  and  the  process  may  take  years. 
First  it  is  shaved  and  washed  with  water  or  palm  wine. 
It  is  then  placed  upon  rush  mats  for  a  day,  then- swathed 
in  long  pieces  of  cloth,  and  laid  upon  a  framework  bed, 
underneath  which  a  hole  is  dug  to  receive  the  water,  etc., 
which  runs  out  of  the  body.  A  fire  is  lighted  at  the  head 
and  foot  of  the  bed,  so  that  the  smoke  may  keep  off  the 
flies.  The  body  is  next  covered  with  acaju  leaves,  then 
wrapped  up  in  more  cloth,  then  placed  in  a  coffin,  which 
is  put  in  a  shimbec  or  hut.  There  the  body  may  lie  for 
years.  Formerly  slaves  and  wives  were  buried  with  a 
chief  or  king.* 

The  Gaga  Burial. — The  dead  man  was  buried  in  a 
pit,  sitting  on  a  seat.     Two  wives,  with  broken  arms  and 

^  Decle,  TTtree  Years  in  Savage  Africa,  p.  234. 
^  Leonard,  Lower  Niger  and  Its  Tribes,  p.  175. 
^  Thomson,  To  the  Central  African  Lakes,  Vol.  II,  p.  258. 
*  Dennett,    Notes  on    the   Folklore   of  the   Fjort,    London,    1898, 
pp.  23,  III. 


African  Burials  105 

legs,  were  thrown  in  with  him,  and  the  grave  was  then 
covered  over,  and  palm  oil  and  goats'  blood  poured  on 
the  grave. ^ 

The  Pygmy  Burial. — The  body  is  washed,  painted, 
dressed  in  new  clothes,  and  then  seated  on  a  seat  of 
earth,  with  his  beads  and  "  the  most  part  of  his  goods  " 
with  him.  The  blood  of  goats  and  wine  are  poured  over 
the  grave. ^  Memorial  feasts  for  the  dead  are  celebrated 
four  or  five  times  each  year. 

The  Congo  Burial. — The  body  is  washed  with  a 
strong  decoction  of  manioc,  which  whitens  the  skin.  It 
is  then  placed  in  the  fetish  attitude  :  the  face  towards  the 
setting  sun,  the  knees  bent,  the  left  foot  raised  behind, 
the  right  arm  hanging  by  the  side,  the  fingers  of  the  left 
hand  separated,  crooked,  and  pointing  eastward.  A 
small  fire  is  kept  burning  under  the  body  till  the  intestines 
are  dried  up  like  parchment.  The  body  is  then  plastered 
over  with  red  clay,  and  rolled  up  in  cloths  till  it  becomes 
a  shapeless  mass.  The  richer  the  person  the  more  the 
cloth.  Finally  the  body  is  buried  in  a  large  grave,  over 
which  is  erected  a  hut  without  a  roof  In  Loango,  the 
body  is  smoked  on  a  scaffold  over  a  green  fire,  like 
elephant  meat.  It  is  exposed  in  a  sacred  house  for  from 
six  to  twelve  months,  the  relatives  coming  at  stated 
intervals  to  mourn  there.  The  body  is  then  placed  in  a 
coffin  shaped  like  a  barrel,  and  is  drawn  to  the  grave  in 
a  kind  of  car.'^ 

It  is  the  earnest  desire  of  a  Congo  man  to  be  buried 
in  a  great  quantity  of  cotton  cloth,  and  to  have  a  grand 
funeral.  For  this  he  trades,  and  works,  and  sins,  and 
spares  no  pains.  He  shivers  with  cold  in  the  dry  season, 
but  will  not  put  on  his  back  the  coat  or  blanket  which  is 
reserved  for  his  shroud.  He  suffers  all  this  for  the  sake 
of  display  at  the  funeral.  When  a  friend  dies  it  is  the 
proper  thing  to  take  a  present  of  cloth  for  his  shroud.  A 
man's  rich  enemies  may  ruin  his  family  at  his  death  by 
their  lavish  donations  for  his  shroud,  which  his  family 
will  never  be  able  to  repay.  A  great  man  is  often  buried 
in  hundreds  of  yards  of  cloth,  and  it  all  goes  underground 

^  Battell,  Strange  Adventures,  p.  34. 

2  Ibid.,  pp.  74,  78  :  Johnston,  Uganda,  Vol.  II,  p.  539. 

2  Winwood  Reade,  Savage  Africa,  p.  542. 


io6     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

to  rot,  and  be  eaten  by  the  white  ants.  The  expense  of 
a  funeral  is  so  great  in  the  case  of  an  important  man 
that  his  own  accumulations  are  never  sufficient.  The 
corpse  has  therefore  to  be  kept  for  a  considerable  time. 
To  this  end  a  grave-like  hole,  two  or  three  feet  deep,  is 
dug  in  the  house  in  which  a  man  dies.  The  body  is 
placed  in  the  hole,  and  over  the  hole  a  mat  is  spread  ;  the 
mat  is  then  covered  with  an  inch  and  a  half  of  earth. 
Fires  are  lighted  by  the  sides  of  the  hole,  and  are  tended 
night  and  day  by  the  wives  of  the  deceased,  who  ought 
not  to  leave  the  house  until  the  funeral.  For  the  first 
few  days  the  house  is  crammed  with  wailing  women. 
The  heat  of  the  fires,  the  closeness  of  the  crowded  hut, 
combine  with  the  smell  of  the  decomposing  body  to 
create  an  atmosphere  almost  indescribable  ;  but  fifty  or 
or  sixty  women  will  crowd  in,  and  sit  with  tearful  eyes, 
wailing  and  chanting  their  mournful  dirges  night  and  day. 

After  a  day  or  two  the  wailing  moderates,  but  at  ten 
o'clock  at  night,  and  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning,  a 
special  wailing  is  set  up,  to  the  beat  of  the  native  gong 
and  a  small  drum.  In  the  early  night  the  young  people 
take  the  great  town  drum  to  the  house,  and  dance  for 
some  hours  ;  so  that  with  laughter  at  the  antics  of  a 
dancer  outside,  and  tears  as  the  wail  surges  and  falls,  the 
hours  pass.  The  wives  put  on  an  old  cloth,  and  sit  and  sleep 
on  the  ground.  They  never  wash,  nor  comb  or  cut  their 
hair  for  months  ;  pot  black  and  oil  are  rubbed  into  their 
skin  and  hair.  A  few  yards  of  cloth  are  wrapped  round 
the  corpse  before  it  is  put  into  the  drying  pit.  The  heat 
of  the  fires  goes  down  into  the  ground,  and  so  a  slow 
dry  heat  is  set  up  ;  in  time  most  of  the  moisture  of  the 
body  evaporates  or  runs  into  the  soil.  It  is  then  removed 
from  the  pit,  wrapped  in  more  cloth,  and  placed  on  a 
shelf  in  the  house.  In  the  dry  season  the  body  may  be 
buried  by  the  side  of  the  house  six  or  eight  inches  below 
the  surface,  and  the  place  covered  with  the  thorny  bases 
of  palm  fronds  to  keep  the  jackals  away. 

Meanwhile  the  relatives  of  the  deceased  have  been 
doing  their  utmost  to  raise  money  for  the  funeral,  and  the 
younger  members  of  the  family  are  often  pawned.  As 
the  day  for  the  funeral  approaches  the  wailing  is  resumed. 
The  drum  is  beaten   nearly  all  night,  and   in  the  early 


African  Burials  107 

morning  the  gong  and  the  chant  can  be  heard.  At  dawn 
for  several  days  there  is  heavy  firing.  The  body  is  then 
wrapped  in  its  shroud,  and  around  this  a  "glorious  cloth  " 
is  wound,  and  then  with  the  thunders  of  the  big  drums 
and  a  dirge,  it  is  brought  to  the  great  square  of  the  town 
so  that  all  may  see  it.  Six  strong  men  raise  the  body  as 
high  as  they  can  to  "show"  it,  in  different  parts  of  the 
square.  It  is  then  taken  to  the  grave  amid  screams  and 
wailings,  and  when  the  women  have  laid  their  hands  on 
it,  two  men  jump  into  the  grave  to  receive  the  body 
and  put  it  carefully  in  its  final  resting-place.  As  soon  as 
this  is  done,  all  weeping  and  wailing  and  tears  cease  as  if 
by  magic.  The  daughter  turns  aside,  dries  her  streaming 
tears,  and  walks  away  chatting  lightly.^ 

The  Bateke,  who  live  to  the  north  of  Stanley  Pool, 
often  bury  a  man  in  the  floor  of  his  own  house.  The 
shroud  is  cut  over  the  mouth,  and  in  filling  up  the  grave, 
after  the  interment,  a  pole  is  placed  with  one  end  on  the 
mouth  of  the  body,  and  the  other  end  sticking  out  from  the 
grave.  When  the  earth  is  properly  filled  in  and  trodden 
down,  the  pole  is  withdrawn,  and  so  a  clear  hole  is  left  to 
the  mouth  of  the  body.  Into  this  hole,  from  time  to  time, 
palm  wine  is  poured,  that  the  deceased  may  not  lack  the 
liquor  which  used  to  gladden  his  heart  when  living. 

On  the  Upper  Congo  a  man  of  importance  has  a 
number  of  slaves,  who  follow  him  about,  paddle  his  canoe, 
and  generally  serve  him.  When  he  dies,  it  is  not  fitting 
that  he  should  enter  the  Spirit-world  unattended,  as 
though  he  were  only  a  slave.  Wives  will  be  needed  to 
cook  and  care  for  him  ;  so,  when  the  time  for  burial 
comes,  these  conveniences  are  provided  for  him.  The 
dead  man  is  washed,  rubbed  with  oil  and  powdered  cam- 
wood, which  makes  him  red  all  over.  His  face  is 
decorated,  one  eye  and  cheek  being  made  yellow  with 
ochre,  and  the  other  white  with  pipeclay  ;  coloured  lines 
are  drawn  on  the  forehead.  A  broad  line  in  white, 
bordered  with  black,  is  brought  down  each  of  his  red 
arms.  Dressed  in  fine  cloth,  his  hair  well  braided,  his 
body  sits  in  state  on  his  stool,  his  pipe  in  his  mouth. 
Men  and  women  come  to  look  at  him,  while  the  wives 
and  their  friends  sing  a  dirge,  rattle  their  rattles,  and  beat 
^  Bentley,  Pioneering  on  the  Congo,  Vol.  I,  p.  176  ff. 


io8     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

the  gongs.      In  a  house  near  by  are  ten  men,  their  necks 

secured  in  forked  sticks  ^  -»  and  firmly  tied  ;  they 

are  to  accompany  him.  Among  the  weeping  wives  are 
three  or  four  who  are  chosen  to  attend  him  in  the  Spirit- 
world.  Great  crowds  assemble  on  the  day  of  the  funeral, 
and  each  person  is  in  full  paint  and  finery,  and  several 
people  dance.  The  body  is  brought  out,  and  the  crowd 
gathers  in  an  open  space  where  there  is  a  strange  wooden 
seat.  The  ten  slaves  are  brought,  and  one  of  them  is 
placed  in  the  seat  and  fastened  to  it.  A  tall  flexible  pole 
is  stuck  into  the  ground,  at  some  distance  behind  the  seat, 
and  from  its  top  is  suspended  by  a  cord  a  sort  of  cage. 
The  pole  is  bent  down,  and  the  cage  is  fitted  to  the  man's 
head.  He  is  blindfolded,  and  the  executioner  commences 
to  dance,  and  make  feints,  and  at  last,  with  a  fearful  yell, 
he  decapitates  his  victim,  with  one  sweep  of  the  huge 
knife.  The  pole,  thus  released,  springs  into  the  air. 
The  crowd  yells  with  delight  and  excitement.  The 
body  is  unbound,  and  a  new  victim  is  placed  on  the  seat, 
and  this  horror  is  repeated,  until  the  ten  slaves  have 
joined  their  dead  master.  The  heads  are  thrown  into  a 
pool  of  water  beside  the  river,  until  the  flesh  comes  off, 
and  then  the  skulls  are  placed  in  the  house  over  the 
master's  ofrave.  The  bodies  of  the  slaves  are  carried  to 
the  grave,  and  laid  in  order  on  the  bottom.  Four  women 
are  then  seized,  and  their  arms  and  legs  are  broken  with 
blows  from  a  heavy  stick,  and  then,  still  alive,  they  are 
placed  in  the  grave.  The  body  of  their  lord  is  laid  upon 
them,  and  the  grave  is  then  filled  in.  Higher  up  the 
river  these  customs  would  be  considered  poor  and  mean 
without  a  cannibal  feast,  and  the  body  would  be  kept 
until  a  hunt  for  victims  could  be  organized.  Among 
the  Bakuba  on  the  Upper  Kasai,  three  hundred 
slaves  have  been  killed  at  the  death  of  the  king  or  his 
sister.^ 

The  Baluba  Burial." — The  dead  man  is  buried  in  a 
wicker  basket  with  a  lid,  the  body  being  in  the  position 
of  a  man  squatting  and  embracing  his  knees.     The  grave 

^  Bentley,  Pioneering  on  the  Congo,  Vol.  I,  p.  253. 
^  The  facts  given  in  the  following  nine  paragraphs  are  taken  from 
Johnston's  George  Grenfell,  Vol.  II,  p.  646  ff. 


African  Burials  109 

is  dug  in  the  forest  in  the  evening,  and  the  body  is 
hurriedly  buried.  The  house  of  the  deceased  is  burnt 
down,  but  a  small  hut  is  built  near  the  place  where  it 
stood,  and  there  the  spirit  of  the  dead  man  will  come  to 
hold  converse  with  the  living.  Before  the  hut  a  ditch  is 
dug,  which  is  filled  with  flour  and  water.  By  its  side  is 
dug  another,  in  which  is  placed  a  pot  pierced  at  the 
bottom  ;  in  this  palm  wine  is  poured. 

The  Muyanzi  Burial. — The  body  is  washed  and 
painted.  The  legs  are  bent  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
raise  the  knees  as  high  as  possible,  and  are  kept  in 
that  position  by  bands  of  tree  bark  or  native  cloth. 
The  body  is  then  dressed  in  the  richest  clothes  of  the 
deceased,  and  placed  before  his  hut,  where  for  ten  days 
all  come  to  admire  it.  The  people  dance  funeral 
dances,  sing  songs,  fire  off  guns,  and  beat  drums ; 
this  goes  on  all  day,  and  palm  wine  circulates  freely. 
When  decomposition  is  far  advanced  the  body  is 
buried  in  the  entrance  to  the  house,  clothes  and  all. 

The  Mongo  Burial. — The  body  is  washed  and 
placed  in  a  hut  for  one,  or  even  two  months.  It  is 
then  enclosed  in  a  box,  which  is  carved,  painted,  and 
mounted  with  points  resembling  horns,  and  carried 
through  the  neighbouring  villages  with  songs  and 
dances,  and  then  buried. 

The  Bangata  of  the  Equator  put  the  dead  body  in 
communication  with  the  living  by  means  of  a  tube,  as 
do  the  people  of  the  Cataract  region  of  the  Lower  Congo. 

The  Bapoto  Burial. — The  body  is  decorated  with 
collars,  bracelets,  glass  trinkets,  etc.,  and  is  buried  by 
mourning  women  who  wear  bands  of  green  leaves  round 
their  bodies. 

The  Aruwimi  Burial. — The  body  is  buried  in  a 
shallow  grave  made  in  the  house,  and  one  or  two 
slaves  are  killed,  so  that  their  spirits  may  go  to  Spirit- 
land  with  their  master. 

The  ManbattO  Burial. — The  warrior  is  buried 
where  he  falls.  A  hut  is  built  over  him,  and  there 
the  relatives  and  friends  bring  baskets  of  food  and  jars 
of  water  at  intervals,  and  they  keep  the  grave  clean. 
The  bodies  of  the  poor  are  left  for  the  ants  and 
hyenas. 

VOL.  II.  I 


no     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

The  Bantu  Burial. — The  Ababua  and  the  Baieu 
(Babati)  of  the  Wele-Bomo-Kandi  bury  the  dead  on  a 
bed,  at  a  depth  of  three  feet ;  after  a  month  they  are 
exhumed  and  buried  in  another  place.  This  ceremony 
is  repeated  as  long  as  the  parents  Hve,  and  when  the 
bed  is  worn  out  another  is  provided  ;  at  each  exhumation 
lamentation  is  made.  The  gifts  to  the  dead  consist  of 
food  only,  and  all  the  property  of  the  deceased  is 
buried  with  him.  The  Baieu  eviscerate  the  body  and 
dry  it. 

The  Nilotic-Negro  Burial. — On  the  north-east 
Congo  the  body  is  buried  in  a  square  pit  dug  in  the 
house,  and  is  placed  in  a  sitting  position  with  the  arms 
folded  and  wrists  fixed  to  the  shoulders.  When  the 
pit  is  filled  in,  the  grave  is  sprinkled  with  ox  blood  or 
beer. 

The  Banziri  Burial. — The  body  is  arranged  in  a 
doubled-up  position  on  a  kind  of  gridiron  of  poles,  and 
a  fire  is  lit  under  it  ;  earthen  pots  are  placed  to  receive 
the  fat  which  runs  out  of  it.  Those  present  rub  their 
faces  and  hands  with  this  fat,  rinse  it  off  with  warm  water, 
and  the  relatives  drink  the  rinsings,  thinking  thereby  to 
absorb  the  virtues  of  the  deceased.  What  remains  of  the 
fat  is  either  sent  to  absent  relatives,  or  kept  in  the  dead 
man's  house.  The  body  is  not  buried  until  decomposition 
is  far  advanced.^ 

The  Ndolo  Burial. — The  body  is  covered  with  a 
coating  of  red  bark  paste,  and  is  provided  with  a  new 
loin-cloth  ;  the  eyebrows  are  blackened  with  charcoal. 
It  is  then  hoisted  up  on  to  a  platform  twelve  feet  high,  and 
set  in  a  sitting  position  ;  a  stick  supports  the  head,  and 
the  hands  are  spread  on  the  knees.  The  women  and 
girls  chant  a  dirge. ^ 

The  Bahuana  Burial. — The  body  is  placed  in  a 
sitting  position  in  a  grave  about  five  feet  deep,  with 
the  face  towards  the  west ;  food,  palm  wine,  and  all 
the  clothes  and  weapons  of  the  deceased  are  buried 
with  him.  In  a  small  hut  above  the  grave  are  laid 
the  fragments    of  his    pots,    which    are    broken   at    the 

1  Mr.  Torday's  information. 

2  Father  Heymans,  of  New  Antwerp  {George  Grenfelly  Vol.  II, 
p.  652). 


African  Burials  1 1 1 

funeral  ;  here  the  brother  of  the  deceased  often  places 
an  offering  of  food.  Women  have  their  pots  buried 
with  them.  A  man  killed  by  lightning  is  buried  lying 
on  his  back.  The  foreheads  of  the  men  mourners  are 
painted  black,  but  the  women  paint  the  whole  face 
black.^  The  mourning  colour  of  the  Bayaka  women 
is  red.^ 

The  Baluba  Burial.^ — When  an  important  Luba 
chief  expires,  every  one,  great  or  small,  must  mourn 
in  a  subdued  tone  ;  the  members  of  all  the  brother- 
hoods come  before  the  house  where  the  body  lies  to 
perform  dances  ;  the  women  violently  strike  their 
hatchet  and  hoe  against  each  other.  This  deafening 
hubbub  lasts  a  day.  The  relatives  then  make  a 
distribution  of  beads  among  all  the  dancers,  and  the 
tumult  ceases.  During  this  time  a  young  slave  is 
obtained  ;  his  neck  is  broken  by  a  blow,  and  he  is 
laid  by  the  body  for  two  days.  He  is  the  chiefs  boy 
attendant.  The  chiefs  wives,  squatting  near  him,  do 
not  cease  their  lamentations.  Some  days  pass  in  this 
way  without  other  incidents  ;  after  which  the  stiffened 
limbs  are  forcibly  bent  and  the  body  placed  in  its  wicker 
coffin.  In  the  house  two  stages  are  raised,  one  above 
the  other  ;  on  the  upper  one  is  placed  the  coffin,  on  the 
lower  a  large  earthen  pot.  The  body  decomposes  ; 
a  noxious  liquid  infested  with  maggots  escapes  from  it 
and  falls  into  the  receptacle  ;  it  is  left  there  for  several 
weeks.  When  the  body  is  ready,  that  is  to  say,  when 
the  nails  can  be  taken  off  easily,  the  Musungi  {i.e.,  the 
"peacemaker"),  the  provisional  "executor"  of  the 
deceased,  raises  the  lid  of  the  coffin,  removes  all  the  nails 
from  the  feet  and  hands,  and  the  belt  of  hippopotamus 
hide,  the  badge  of  greatness,  cuts  off  the  middle  finger  of 
the  right  hand  and  a  great  toe  and  places  therp  together 
in  a  hollowed  fruit,  which  is  placed  in  a  small  basket  with  a 
cone-shaped  cover.  The  bundle  is  entrusted  to  the 
nephews  of  the  deceased  ;  they  proceed  to  hang  it  up  in 

^  Torday  and  Joyce,  Notes  on  the  Ethnography  of  the  Ba-Huana, 
p.  290. 

2  George  Grenfell,  Vol.  II,  p.  655, 

*  The  following   account   by  a  Belgian   missionary  is   printed   in 
George  Grenfell,  Vol.  II,  p.  655. 

I    2 


112     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

the  ancestral  hut.  One  of  the  nephews  has  it  under  his 
special  care,  and  is  responsible  for  the  whole  under  pain 
of  death  or  banishment.  At  this  time  they  sacrifice  a 
slave  ;  his  death  announces  the  event. 

Finally  the  burial  is  proceeded  with.  The  important 
men  of  the  village,  followed  by  some  relatives,  proceed 
by  day  and  night  towards  a  shallow  marsh,  carrying 
the  remains  of  the  deceased.  A  great  chief  can  never 
go  thus  into  the  Other  World  without  taking  away  a 
portion  of  his  slaves  ;  and  so  whenever  the  funeral  pro- 
cession is  set  in  motion,  two  men  are  beaten  to  death 
with  clubs  and  thrown  across  the  public  road  without 
burial ;  it  is  their  mission  to  tell  passers-by  that  their 
master  has  gone  along  that  way  to  his  last  dwelling. 
As  soon  as  the  site  of  the  grave  has  been  selected,  the 
men  build  a  large  square  barrier  of  grass  and  weed, 
drain  off  the  water  which  is  within,  and  set  to  work, 
with  feverish  activity  to  dig  a  deep  ditch  of  about  six 
feet,  taking  care  to  keep  the  side  walls  well  hollowed 
out ;  and  forthwith  two  female  slaves  of  the  dead  man, 
who  have  as  a  preliminary  been  decked  in  their  finest 
attire,  descend  of  their  own  accord  (or  by  force,  and  in 
spite  of  their  laments  and  sobs)  to  the  bottom  of  this  tomb, 
lie  on  their  sides  face  to  face,  and  stretching  out  the 
arm  which  is  next  the  ground,  embrace  the  decomposed 
remains  of  their  master.  The  jar  containing  the  liquid 
and  worms  I  have  described  is  emptied  and  broken  in 
the  grave.  These  poor  women,  mad  with  misery,  do 
not  always  show  themselves  eager  to  fulfil  the  task 
required  of  them  at  the  funeral ;  for  that  reason  they  are 
usually  bound,  or  sometimes  their  skulls  are  mercifully 
broken.  During  that  time,  six  slaves  brought  for  the 
purpose  are  butchered,  and  their  bodies  placed  in  the 
hollowed  walls  ;  then  the  ditch  is  quickly  filled  up,  and 
the  marsh  water,  escaping  over  the  barrier,  makes  its 
way  in  and  covers  this  sad  spot  with  a  silence  which  will 
be  broken  for  a  moment,  some  months  later,  by  the 
piercing  cries  of  new  victims.  In  short,  the  same  grave- 
diggers  will  return  to  the  grave,  bringing  a  man  in 
bonds,  whom  they  will  force  to  build  a  wooden  enclosure 
on  the  edge  of  the  marsh  ;  when  he  shall  have  completed 
his  task,  one  of  them  will  drive  into  his  breast  the  head 


African  Burials  113 

of  his  lance,  crush  his  head,  and  lay  him  in  a  ditch  beside 
the  chief  Then  a  few  days  before  the  arrival  of  a 
successor  at  the  dead  man's  village,  they  will  go  again 
with  a  slave,  and  some  jars  of  beer,  force  the  wretched 
man  to  pull  out  all  the  stakes  and  drop  all  the  jars  in  a 
small  ditch  ;  then  they  will  kill  him  likewise,  and  bury 
him  on  the  other  side  of  the  grave.  The  departed  is 
satisfied  ;  his  successor  may  come. 

The  Nsakara  Burial. — On  a  bed,  in  an  immense 
circular  ditch,  his  head  resting  on  the  arm  of  his  favourite 
wife,  is  laid  the  body  of  the  deceased,  dressed  in  his 
richest  attire  ;  around  him,  attached  to  stakes,  the 
strangled  bodies  of  the  wives  who  have  been  unwilling 
to  survive  their  husband  ;  thrown  pell-mell  in  the  ditch 
the  bodies  of  slaves  and  servants  who  have  worked  for 
the  dead  man  ;  such  is  the  hideous  spectacle  presented 
to  a  crowd  craving  for  pain  and  slaughter.  The  ditch 
is  filled  up,  and  on  the  newly-piled  earth  begins  the 
sacrifice  of  the  victims  destined  for  the  feasts  celebrated 
in  memory  of  him  whom  they  are  lamenting  .... 
These  repasts  of  human  flesh  last  many  days.^ 

The  Upper  Cross  River  Burial. — The  old  and 
helpless  members  of  the  community  are  hit  on  the  head 
by  their  fellows,  who  carefully  smoke-dry  their  bodies. 
These  are  afterwards  pulverized,  and  formed  into  small 
balls  by  the  addition  of  water  in  which  Indian  corn  has 
been  boiled  for  some  hours.  This  mixture  is  dried  in 
the  sun,  or  over  fires,  and  is  then  put  away  for  future  use 
as  an  addition  to  the  family  stew.^ 

The  Arab  Burial. — Sir  Samuel  Baker  attributed 
to  the  Arabs  the  grave  which,  as  has  been  seen  above, 
is  of  purely  African  origin.  He  says  :  "The  graves  of 
the  Arabs  are  an  improvement  upon  those  of  Europeans. 
What  poor  person  who  cannot  afford  a  vault  has  not 
felt  a  pang  as  the  clod  fell  upon  the  coffin  of  his  relative  ? 
The  Arabs  avoid  this.  Although  there  is  no  coffin  the 
earth  does  not  rest  upon  the  body.  The  hole  being  dug 
similar  in  shape  to  a  European  grave,  an  extra  trench 
is  formed  at  the  bottom  of  the  grave  about  a  foot  wide. 

^  From  the  Report  of  a  Belgian  missionary,  printed  in  George 
Grenfell,  Vol.  II,  p.  657. 

■'*  Kingsley,  West  African  Studies,  pp.  555,  556. 


114     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

The  body  is  laid  upon  its  side  within  this  trench,  and 
covered  by  bricks  made  of  clay  which  are  laid  across  ; 
thus  the  body  is  contained  within  a  narrow  vault.  Mud 
is  then  smeared  over  the  hastily-made  bricks,  and 
nothing  is  visible,  the  tomb  being  made  level  with  the 
bottom  of  the  large  grave.  This  is  filled  up  with  earth, 
which,  resting  on  the  brick  covering  of  the  trench,  cannot 
press  upon  the  body.  In  such  a  grave  my  best  man 
was  laid — the  Slave  women  raising  their  horrible 
howling,  and  my  men  crying  loudly  ....  I  was  glad 
to  see  so  much  external  feeling  for  their  comrade,  but 
the  grave  being  filled,  their  grief,  like  all  loud  sorrow, 
passed  quickly  away,  and  relapsed  into  thoughts  of 
buffalo  meat  ;  they  were  soon  busily  engaged  in  cutting 
up  the  flesh."  1 

The  Abyssinian  Burial. — When  a  person  is  seized 
with  the  fever,  the  relatives  set  in  front  of  him  all  the 
ornaments  of  gold  and  silver  and  fine  clothes  which  their 
respective  friends  can  collect,  making  at  the  same  time 
as  much  noise  as  possible  with  drums,  trumpets,  and 
loud  outcries,  which  is  done  with  the  view  of  "  driving 
out  the  devil  "  of  the  man,  for  most  Abyssinians  believe 
that  most  diseases  are  caused  by  demoniacal  possession. 
When  it  is  seen  that  the  sick  man  is  about  to  die,  the 
drums  and  trumpets  cease,  and  all  present  set  up 
mournful  howls.  And  when  death  is  announced,  they 
tear  out  their  hair,  scratch  the  skin  from  their  temples, 
and  throw  themselves  with  sobs  and  screams  on  the 
ground  ;  they  show  such  agony  that  one  would  imagine 
that  the  very  existence  of  the  universe  was  threatened 
by  his  death.  Relatives,  friends,  acquaintances  and 
servants  together  produce  indescribable  confusion.  Soon 
after  death,  the  body  is  carefully  washed,  fumigated  with 
incense,  and  sewn  up  in  one  of  the  cloths  which  the 
deceased  wore  when  he  was  alive,  and  is  then  carried 
to  the  grave,  in  which  it  is  laid  whilst  the  priests  recite 
appropriate  prayers.  On  the  following  day  the  relatives 
and  friends  celebrate  the  feast  in  honour  of  the  dead. 
An  image  of  the  deceased  is  made  up  and  dressed  in 
rich  garments,  and  is  placed  on  his  favourite  mule,  and 
carried  in  procession  through  the  town  to  the  tomb.  A 
^  Baker,  Albert  N^yanza,  p.  36. 


African  Burials  115 

number  of  professional  wailing  women  join  the  pro- 
cession, and  keep  up  a  terrible  noise  the  whole  time, 
saying  :  "  Why  did  you  leave  us  ?  Had  you  not  houses 
and  lands  ?  Had  you  not  a  wife  who  loved  you  ?  " 
Arrived  at  the  tomb  the  cries  and  wailings  are  redoubled, 
the  priests  shout  "  Hallelujahs,"  and  the  relatives  scream 
in  concert.  The  whole  party  then  goes  back  to  the  house 
of  the  deceased,  and  partakes  of  a  huge  meal  of  meat, 
and  drink  is  provided  in  such  quantities  that  every 
member  of  the  party  eventually  becomes  drunk.^ 

From  the  statements  contained  in  the  above  descrip- 
tions of  modern  African  funerals  the  reader  will  see  that 
the  similarity  between  them  and  the  funerals  of  the 
ancient  Egyptians  is  too  close  and  too  widespread  to  be 
the  result  of  accident.  The  indigenous  Egyptians  being 
Africans  buried  their  dead  like  Africans.  A  settled 
government  enabled  the  craft  of  the  undertaker  to 
develop  and  flourish  to  a  degree  undreamt  of  in  Central 
Africa,  but  it  may  be  safely  asserted  that  the  well- 
preserved  condition  of  Egyptian  mummies  and  funerary 
furniture  is  due  far  more  to  the  protection  of  the  lime- 
stone hills  and  the  sandy  deserts  than  to  the  art  of  the 
embalmer  and  his  colleagues.  Everything  put  into  the 
ground  of  the  Central  African  forest  perishes  through 
damp  and  insects,  and  the  same  is  the  case  in  the  fertile 
Delta  of  Egypt ;  only  in  those  parts  of  Egypt  where 
tombs  can  be  hewn  in  the  mountains  or  in  the  stony  bed 
of  the  desert  have  mummies  and  funerary  furniture  been 
satisfactorily  preserved. 

^  Salt,  Voyage  to  Abyssinia^  p.  422. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

The  African  Doctrine  of  Last  Things. 

Immortality. 

The  offerings  found  in  the  pre-dynastic  tombs  of  Egypt 
prove  that  the  indigenous  inhabitants  of  the  country 
beHeved  in  existence  after  death,  and  the  persistent 
allusions  to  "everlasting  life"  and  immortality  which 
are  found  in  the  texts  of  all  periods  show  that  the  belief 
in  a  resurrection  was  general.  Two  or  three  passages 
are  sufficient  to  prove  how  definite  this  belief  was,  and 
it  is  unnecessary  to  quote  more  than  the  following  : 
To  Unas,  a  king  of  the  Vlth  dynasty,  it  is  said,  "  Hail, 
"  Unas  !  Assuredly  thou  hast  not  gone  as  one  dead, 
"  but  as  one  living  to  sit  upon  the  throne  of  Osiris."^ 
Again,  the  same  king  is  declared  to  be  the  son  of  the  god 
Temu,  the  Father-god  and  Creator,  and  it  is  said  :  "He 
"  {i.e.,  Temu)  liveth.  this  Unas  liveth  ;  he  dieth  not,  this 
*'  Unas  dieth  not."^  That  this  life  beyond  the  grave 
was  everlasting  is  proved  by  the  words  of  Thoth,  who 
said  to  the  deceased  :  "  Thou  shalt  exist  for  millions  of 
years,  [thy]  period  of  life  shall  be  millions  of  years.  "^ 
The  deceased  says  that  his  soul  is  both  God  and 
eternity,*   therefore    God    is    eternal    and    His   servant 


ra 


r^ 


^^^PKl'^^f 


^^^  rl  «^  /vSw  jj      ll    .      Unas,  1.  206. 


1  1      V""^  ^      J 

,      Unas,  1.  240. 


-A^ 


KCISI 


I .    Book  of 


the  Dead,  Chapter  CLXXV,  1.  16. 
Dead,  Chapter  LXXXIV. 


Doctrine  of  Last  Things  117 

partakes  of  the  attributes  of  the  Deity  and  lives  for  ever 
with  Him. 

The  Ka  or  Double. 

Having  proved  by  their  own  words  that  the  Egyptians 
beHeved  in  a  future  life,  we  have  to  try  to  find  out 
from  their  religious  literature  (i)  what  portion  of  a 
man's  entity  it  was  which  lived  after  the  death  of  his 
body  ;  (2)  what  form  it  lived  in  ;  and  (3)  where  it  lived. 
These  questions  are  full  of  difficulties,  for  however 
closely  we  may  examine  the  texts,  we  still  find  there  are 
many  points  about  which  they  give  no  information  at  all, 
and  the  confusion  and  contradictions  which  meet  us  in 
many  documents  prove  that  the  writers  of  them  were  as 
much  puzzled  when  they  tried  to  harmonize  their  state- 
ments as  we  are.  The  Egyptians  more  than  most 
peoples  tried  to  explain  the  unknowable,  and,  of  course, 
failed.     The  physical  body  of  a  man  was  called  khat, 

"/l'^^?^'  ^  word  which  sometimes  has  as  its  deter- 
minative a  mummy,        J\iS:»»,  or  a  mummy  lying  on  a 

bier,  *5^;  the  word  seems  to  mean  something  which 
decayed.  The  god  Osiris  had  such  a  body,  and  it  lay 
in  Anu  (Heliopolis).^  When  the  body  was  born  there 
came  into  existence  with  it  an  abstract  individuality  or 
spiritual  being,  which  was  wholly  independent  and 
distinct  from  the  physical  body,  but  its  abode  was  the 
body,  whose  actions  it  was  supposed  to  direct,  and  guide, 
and  keep  watch  over,  and  it  lived  in  the  body  until  the 
body  died.  No  healthy  child  was  ever  born  without 
this  spiritual  being,  and  when  the  Egyptians  drew 
pictures  of  it  they  always  made  it  resemble  the  body  to 
which  it  belonged  ;  in  other  words,  they  regarded  it  as 
its  "double."  Its  name  in  Egyptian  was  Ka,  and  the 
hieroglyph  which  represents  it  is  |_J|,  i.e.,  two  human 
arms  extended  at  right  angles  to  the  breast  as  if  ready 
to  embrace  someone  ;^    in  late  times  Ka  simply  meant 


'"1 


.      Book    of    the   Dead, 

ci  ill     ci     <a  W  o  D  Jit^  ill  © 


Chapter  CXLII. 

^  The  word  exists  in  Coptic  under  the  form  KtJO>  siatuae,  idola. 


ii8     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

"  person,"  or  "  self,"  and  the  Romans,  had  they  under- 
stood the  true  meaning  of  the  word,  would  probably 
have  translated  it  by  "genius  natalis."  When  the  body 
died  the  Ka  did  not  die  with  it,  but  continued  its 
existence  ;  whether  it  was  supposed  to  live  for  ever 
cannot  be  said.  The  body  was  preserved  in  a  tomb,  so 
that  the  Ka  might  come  and  visit  it  whenever  it  pleased, 
but  it  could  not  be  considered  the  dwelling-place  of  the 
Ka  after  its  death.  Therefore  the  Egyptians  prepared 
a  figure  or  statue  of  the  dead  person  to  whom  the  Ka 
belonged,  taking  great  pains  to  give  it  all  the  character- 
istics of  the  deceased,  so  that  the  Ka  might  recognize  it 
as  an  image  of  its  body  and  be  pleased,  to  enter  into  the 
figure  and  take  up  its  abode  there.  The  Egyptians 
placed  the  figure  or  statue  so  prepared  in  the  tomb 
with  the  body,  sometimes  in  a  niche,  and  sometimes  in 
a  very  small  chamber  behind  a  stone  partition  with  an 
opening  in  it,  so  that  the  Ka  might  see  and  hear  all  that 
was  going  on  in  the  tomb  when  visitors  came  there  to 
pay  visits  in  its  honour.  The  figures  set  up  in  memory 
of  the  dead  by  many  modern  African  peoples  are  in 
reality  Ka  figures,  only  the  original  purpose  of  them  has 
been  forgotten.  Dr.  Schweinfurth  rightly  says  that 
such  figures  are  not  idols,  and  in  describing  those  which 
were  on  the  grave  of  Yanga,  the  Bongo  chief,  he 
mentions  rough-hewn  figures,  as  large  as  life,  which 
were  carved  to  represent  the  chief  followed  by  his  wives 
and  children.  Some  figures  of  this  kind  have  bead 
necklaces  and  rings,  and  hair  is  fixed  in  appropriate 
places  on  the  body.^  No  pains  are  spared  in  making 
such  figures  as  life-like  as  possible.  In  the  case  of  a 
very  great  man  such  a  figure  is  placed  in  the  middle  of 
the  town  or  village,  in  order  that  the  living  may  benefit 
by  consultation  with  the  Ka  when  it  visits  it.  Thus  in 
the  town  of  Cashil,  in  the  Jaga  country,  there  was  such 
an  image  12  feet  high  in  the  centre  of  a  circle  of 
elephants'  tusks,  and  the  natives  were  in  the  habit  of 
making  offerings  of  palm  oil  and  goats'  blood  to  it. 
The  name  of  the  figure  was  Quesango  (Kizangu).  Else- 
where were  several  smaller  images.^ 

1  Heart  of  Africa,  Vol.  I,  p.  286. 

^  Andrew  Battel!,  Strange  Adventures  (1901  edition),  p.  46. 


Doctrine  of  Last  Things 


119 


I20     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

Not  only  was  it  necessary  to  provide  a  figure  for  the 
Ka  to  dwell  in,  but  if  it  was  not  to  perish  of  cold, 
hunger,  and  thirst,  offerings  of  meat,  drink,  clothing, 
etc.,  must  be  placed  in  the  tomb  by  the  friends  and 
relatives  of  the  dead,  so  that  the  Ka  might  eat  and 
drink,  anoint  and  dress  itself,  even  as  its  body  had  done 
when  upon  earth.  The  Ka  did  not,  of  course,  consume 
the  actual  offerings  of  food  which  were  given  to  it,  but 
only  the  spirits,  or  "doubles,"  of  the  bread,  beer, 
vegetables,  meat,  oil,  etc.,  and  similarly  it  arrayed 
itself  in  the  spirits  of  the  suits  of  linen  apparel  which 
were  offered  to  it.  No  uncertainty  about  this  belief  is 
possible,  for  all  the  sepulchral  prayers  contain  a  petition 
to  the  effect  that  thousands  of  meals  of  every  kind  of 
good  and  pleasant  food  may  be  given  to  the  Ka  of  So- 
and-so.  In  the  Chapter  on  Osiris  and  the  Doctrine  of 
offerings,  numerous  instances  are  quoted  of  the  methods 
of  making  offerings  to  the  Kau,  or  Doubles  of  the  dead, 
employed  by  the  Egyptians  and  modern  peoples  in 
Africa.  Therefore  it  is  sufficient  to  say  here  that  the 
custom  of  offering  food,  etc.,  to  the  dead  with  the  object 
of  preserving  the  existence  of  the  Kau  can  be  clearly 
traced  in  Egypt  and  the  Sudan  from  the  Pre-dynastic 
Period  to  the  present  day. 

Assuming,  then,  that  the  Ka  was  provided  with  a 
statue  in  which  to  dwell  in  a  well  protected  tomb,  and 
regular  and  sufficient  offerings,  there  is  no  reason  why 
it  should  not  live  for  ever.  It  has,  however,  always 
been  the  common  experience  that  sepulchral  endowments 
become  alienated,  that  tombs  are  destroyed  by  natural 
and  other  causes,  or  "  usurped  "  by  strangers,  and  that 
bodies  perish,  however  carefully  embalmed  or  mummified. 
In  such  cases  the  fate  of  the  Ka  was  sad  indeed,  for  it 
was  then  obliged  to  go  and  seek  its  own  food,  and 
hunger  and  thirst  might  compel  it  to  eat  offal  and  to 
drink  filthy  water.  Its  existence  might  be  prolonged  by 
the  prayers  of  the  pious  who  entreated  the  gods  of  the 
dead  to  provide  it  with  food,  but  sooner  or  later  a  change 
of  religion  would  come,  men's  ideas  would  change,  and 
the  Ka  would  be  unprovided  for.  When  the  Egyptians 
embraced  Christianity,  the  Kau  of  their  ancestors  must 
have   starved,    for   the    Egyptian    Christians    made    no 


Doctrine  of  Last  Things  121 

offerings  to  the  dead,  and  they  did  not  pray  the  magical 
prayers  which  in  earlier  times  were  believed  to  secure 
food  for  the  dead.  The  Kau  of  dead  Egyptians  would 
meet  with  little  charity  at  the  hands  of  their  descendants 
who  embraced  Islam,  for  they  had  been  "unbelievers,"  and 
the  offspring  of  the  "  time  of  ignorance  "  [jakiltyah),  who 
knew  neither  the  God  of  Islam  nor  its  great  Prophet.  On 
this  point  the  words  of  the  Kur'an  are  quite  definite : — 
Upon  those  who  believe  not,  and  who  die  in  their 
unbelief,  shall  be  the  curse  of  God,  and  of  the  angels 
and  of  all  men  ;  they  shall  remain  under  it  for  ever,, 
their  punishment  shall  not  be  alleviated,  neither  shall 
they  be  regarded.^  If,  as  seems  likely,  the  fate  of  the 
Ka  was  bound  up  with  that  of  the  body,  then  many 
score  millions  of  Kau  must  have  perished  when  the 
ancient  religion  of  Egypt  came  to  an  end,  at  least  so  far 
as  ordinary  people  were  concerned.  We  read  of  Kau  in 
the  kingdom  of  Osiris,  but  these,  probably,  belonged  to 
kings  and  chiefs  and  nobles  who  were  buried  with 
elaborate  rites  and  ceremonies,  which  conferred  on  them 
the  privileges  of  the  gods  who  lived  for  ever,  or  they 
may  have  belonged  to  the  gods  themselves. 

A  belief  in  the  existence  of  the  Ka  exists  among  some 
modern  African  peoples.  The  Tshi-speaking  tribes^  use 
the  word  Kra  to  designate  the  spirit  of  a  man,  which 
enters  him  at  birth,  lives  with  him  throughout  his 
life,  and  leaves  him  at  death.  This  spirit  is  entirely 
distinct  from  the  man  himself.  The  word  Kra  is  generally 
interpreted  "soul,"  but  the  Kra  does  not  in  any  way 
correspond  to  the  European  idea  of  soul,  and  it  has 
nothing  to  do  with  the  soul  which,  on  the  death  of  the 
body,  departs  straightway  to  the  Land  of  the  Dead. 
The  Kra  is  not  the  man  himself,  in  a  shadowy  or  ghostly 
form,  that  continues  his  existence  after  death  in  another 
world,  but  is  a  kind  of  guardian  spirit,  who  lives  in  a 
man.  The  Ewe-speaking  peoples  have  a  similar  belief,, 
the  indwelling  spirit  being  by  them  termed  a  "  Luwo."" 
The  Ga-speaking  peoples  assign  to  each  individual  twa 
indwelling  spirits  called  "  Kla,"  one  male  and  one  female, 
the   former   being  of  a   bad   and  the  latter  of  a  good 

1  Surah  II  (The  Cow). 

^  See  Ellis,  The  Tshi-speaking  Peoples^  p.  149. 


122     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

disposition.  And  they  give  good  or  bad  advice,  and 
prompt  good  or  bad  actions,  according  to  their  respective 
dispositions.^  The  Bantu  equivalent  of  the  "  Kra  "  or 
*♦  Kla  "  is  called  "  Manu."^  The  Ba-Huana  believe  that 
man  is  composed  of  body,  bun  (soul),  and  double  (doshi). 
The  Doshi  is  a  shadowy  second  self,  corresponding  to 
the  Kra  of  the  Tshi-speaking  tribes  of  the  Gold  Coast, 
and  the  Ka  of  the  Ancient  Egyptians.  It  leaves  the 
body  in  sleep,  and  visits  other  people  in  dreams,  and  the 
Doshi  of  the  dead  appear  to  the  living  in  the  same 
manner.  All  people  have  Doshi,  and  animals  also.  At 
death  the  Doshi  ling-ers  about  in  the  air,  visits  its  friends 
and  haunts  its  enemies ;  it  will  persecute  the  relations  if 
the  body  has  not  received  proper  burial ;  there  are  no 
means  of  exorcising  it.^  The  Bayaka  of  the  Kwango- 
Kwilu  also  believe  in  the  existence  of  an  imperishable 
principle  or  soul,  according  to  Mr.  Torday,  which  they 
call  "  Doshi."* 

Colonel  Ellis  says  that  when  a  man  dies  his  Kra 
becomes  a  "  Sisa,"  and  a  Sisa  can  be  born  again  and 
become  a  Kra  in  a  new  human  body.  It  can  remain  in  the 
house  with  Its  dead  body,  and  can  annoy  the  living  and 
cause  sickness.  If  it  fails  to  find  a  new  body,  it  must  go  to 
the  land  of  Insisa,  where  the  Insisa  (plural  of  Sisa)  live  and 
build  houses.  This  country  lies  beyond  the  River  Volta. 
Usually  Insisa  do  no  harm  to  the  relatives  of  its  dead 
body  unless  they  have  not  buried  it  with  proper  care  and 
ceremony  ;  therefore  are  the  dead  buried  with  great  care, 
for  the  relatives  like  to  think  that  the  Sisa  of  the  dead 
relative  is  sitting  with  them  comfortably  in  the  hut,  and 
not  wandering  about  outside  unprovided  for.  The  Sisa 
lives  near  the  house  until  the  end  of  the  period  of 
mourning,  when  it  goes  to  the  country  of  Insisa.  The 
Ahantas  build  special  small  huts  for  the  Insisa,  in  which 

1  The  Yorubas  think  that  a  man  has  three  indwelHng  spirits  : 
I.  The  Olori,  which  dwells  in  the  head,  and  is  the  protector,  guardian, 
and  guide  of  a  man ;  to  it  offerings  are  made.  2.  The  Ipin  ijeun, 
which  dwells  in  the  stomach.  3.  The  Ipori,  which  dwells  in  the  big 
toe. — Ellis,   Yoruba-speaking  Peoples, -p.  126. 

2  Kingsley,   West  African  Studies,  p.  200. 

2  Torday  and  Joyce,  Notes  on  the  Ethnography  of  the  Ba-Huana, 
Journal  Anth.  Inst.,  Vol.  XXXVI. 

*  Quoted  by  Johnston,  George  Grenfell,  Vol.  II,  p.  640. 


Doctrine  of  Last  Things  123 

they  place  a  bundle  of  hair  of  the  deceased,  and  meat 
and  drink  offerings.^  These  facts  are  of  importance,  for 
they  show  that  the  modern  African  holds  about  the  Kra, 
and  its  later  development  the  Sisa,  views  similar  to 
those  which  the  Egyptian  held  about  the  Ka,  and  the 
urgent  necessity  there  was  to  bury  the  body  with  full 
ceremonies  and  to  provide  for  the  Ka. 

The  Spirit-Body  (Sahu). 

The  fact  that  the  Egyptians  and  many  peoples  of  the 
Sudan  were  in  the  habit  of  drying  the  body  in  the  sun  or 
embalming  it,  and  swathing  it  in  cloth  of  some  kind, 
proves  that  its  preservation  was  in  some  way  necessary 
for  the  eternal  welfare  of  its  spiritual  constituents.  The 
Egyptians  were  a  practical  people,  and  they  would  never 
have  gone  to  the  expense  and  trouble  of  embalming  the 
dead  unless  they  had  believed  that  it  was  absolutely 
necessary.  There  is  no  proof  that  they  ever  expected 
the  physical  body  to  rise  again  ;  on  the  contrary,  the 
texts  state  clearly  that  the  "soul  is  in  heaven,  the  body 
in  the  earth,""  and  ''thy  essence  is  in  heaven,  thy  body 
in  the  earth  "  ;^  and  this,  notwithstanding  the  texts  say  : 

"I   germinate  like  the  plants";*    "my  flesh,   1)%^*^^. 

germinateth "  f  "  I  am,  I  am,  I  live,  I  live,  I  ger- 
minate, I  germinate  "  f  and  in  the  "  Book  of  Breathings  " 
it  is  said  to  the  deceased  :  "  Thy  soul  liveth,  thy  body 
"  germinateth  by  the  command  of  Ra,  without  diminution, 
"  without  defect,  like  [that  of]  Ra,  for  ever  and  ever." 
These  statements  taken  together  prove  that  the 
Egyptians  believed  that  some  kind  of  body  rose  from 
the  dead,  and  continued  Jts  existence  in  the  Other 
World.     The  pictures  of  the  beatified  as  seen  in  papyri 

^  Ellis,  op.  cit.,  p.  151. 

'^        "     °-  ^^     n  Pepil,1.85. 


3       AA/WSA  Q       ^ 

/SAAA/V\ 


/VVWNA 


m  ^^i::^  <z=>  =^.      Pepi  I,  1.  304. 


*  Book  of  the  Dead,  Chapter  LXXXIII,  1.  3. 

5  Ibid.,  LXIV,  1.  49. 

6  Ibid.,  CLIV. 


124     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

show  us  that  this  risen  body  had  the  form  and  appear- 
ance of  the  physical  body  which  had  been  mummified 
and  laid  in  the  grave.  We  know  that  the  Ka  was 
maintained  by  the  offerings  of  relatives  and  friends  of 
the  dead,  but  we  have  no  information  as  to  the  means  by 
which  the  Sahu/  or  revivified  body,  was  kept  in  exist- 
ence. The  word  "  sahu  "  seems  to  mean  something  like 
"free,"  "noble,"  "chief,"  and  in  this  case  it  appears  to 
be  used  as  the  name  for  a  body  which  has,  by  means  of 
the  religious  ceremonies  that  have  been  performed  over 
it,  obtained  freedom  from  the  material  body  and  power 
whereby  it  has  become  incorruptible  and  everlasting. 
Hence  arose  the  great  importance  of  funeral  ceremonies 
and  offerings,  which  caused  a  spiritual  body  to  spring 
from  the  physical  body,  and  the  Ka  to  continue  its 
existence  after  the  death  of  the  body  to  which  it 
belonged.  As  the  physical  body  formed  the  abiding- 
place  of  the  Ka  and  the  soul,  so  the  spiritual  body  was 
believed  to  afford  a  dwelling-place  for  the  soul,  for  it  is 
distinctly  said^  that  "souls  enter  into  their  sahu."  And 
the  spiritual  body  had  power  to  journey  everywhere  in 
heaven  and  on  earth,  for  to  King  Teti  it  is  said  :  "  Thou 
"  hast  received  thy  sah,  thy  foot  shall  have  no  limit 
"  set  to  it  in  heaven,  thou  shalt  not  be  driven  back  on 
"  earth."^ 

Modern  African  peoples  also  believe  that  the  living 
man  and  the  Kra  become  on  the  death  of  the  man  a 
ghost  or  shadowy  man  and  a  Sisa.  On  this  point  all  the 
Tshi-speaking  peoples  agree.*  The  Tshi  name  for  the 
shadowy  man  is  "  Srahman,"  plur.,  Asrahmanfo.  The 
Srahman  does  in  the  Other  World  what  he  did  when  he 
lived  here  ;  the  chief  is  a  chief,  the  peasant  a  peasant, 
and  the  slave  a  slave.  He  has  the  same  passions, 
appetites,  needs,  and  necessities  as  living  men,  and  he 
lives  on  and  enjoys  the  intangible  individualities  of  the 
offerings  which  are  made  at  his  grave.^     The  Yoruba 

2  Book  of  the  Dead,  Chapter  LXXXIX,  1.  5. 

»  Teta,  1.  271. 

*  Ellis,  op.  cit.,  p.  155. 

6  Ibid.,  pp.  157.  158- 


Doctrine  of  Last  Things  125 

tribes  call  the  "ghost-man  "  "  I  win,"  or  "  Okan,"  but  the 
latter  word  also  means  "heart."  The  Iwin  holds  the 
position  he  held  here  in  the  Other  World,  if  he  reaches 
it,  but  this  he  only  does  if  the  prescribed  funeral  rites 
have  been  properly  performed.  If  these  be  omitted  the 
"ghost-man"  wanders  about  the  world,  cold,  hungry, 
and  homeless,  and  he  may  be  seized  by  evil  spirits 
and  cast  into  "  the  unseen  world  of  potsherds."^ 
Dr.  Nassau  tells  us  that  the  Uvengwa  is  the  self- 
revivified  spirit  and  body  of  a  dead  human  being.  It  is 
an  object  of  dread,  and  is  never  worshipped  in  any 
manner  whatever.  It  is  white  in  colour,  but  the  body  is 
variously  changed  from  the  likeness  of  the  original 
human  body.^  The  Baluba  believe  that  the  soul  con- 
tinues to  reside  unimpaired  in  the  corpse,  with  the 
possibility  of  detaching  itself,  not  freely  and  untram- 
melled, but  in  association  with  a  vague,  impalpable 
something,  a  kind  of  phantom  or  spectre  which  has  the 
exact  appearance  of  the  dead  body,  but  has  not  its  real 
substance.  It  is  under  this  shadowy  form,  which  is,  in 
short,  the  dematerialized  body,  that  the  soul  will  hence- 
forth live  in  the  realm  of  the  dead.  The  Baluba  believe 
the  soul  to  be  a  principle  distinct  from  the  body,  and 
endowed  with  a  more  ethereal  nature,  but  unfit  to  exist 
alone  without  some  veil  or  phantom.  This  phantom  has 
not  always  the  exact  shape  of  a  human  being.  Thus 
the  phantom  of  a  man  whose  flesh  has  been  eaten  by 
cannibals  takes  the  form  of  a  dried  skeleton,  and  that  of 
a  man  whose  body  has  been  burnt  will  for  ever  appear  as 
a  wreath  of  smoke  dropping  an  ashy  dust.^  Thus  the 
ancient  and  modern  evidences  taken  together  show  that 
the  Egyptians  and  Sudani  peoples  believed  in  a  resur- 
rection, and  thought  that  the  spirit  body  was  enabled  to 
rise  from  the  physical  body  through  the  rites  and 
ceremonies  which  were  performed  over  it. 


1 


Ellis,   Yoruba-speaking  Peoples,  ^.  127. 
2  Fetichis7)i  in  West  Africa,  p.  7 1 . 
^  Johnston,  George  Grenfell,  Vol.  II,  p.  642. 
VOL.  II.  K 


126     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

The  Shadow  (Khaibit). 

Closely  associated  with   the    body  was   its    shadow, 

T,  and  the  Egyptians  appear  to  have  thought  it  one 
I 

of  its  most  important  attributes.     We  do  not  know  what 

ideas   they  held   about  its   functions  when   the   man   to 

whom  it  belonged  was  alive,  but  it  is  quite  certain  that 

they   did   not   believe   the   resurrection   of   the   spiritual 

body  to  be  complete  unless  that  phantom  form  was  in 

possession  of  its  shadow.     The  texts  lead  us  to  suppose 

that  the  Sahu  was  an   immaterial  form  of  the  physical 

body,  and  it  seems  that  the  Egyptians  thought  it  to  be 

material  enough  to  cast  a  shadow  !     In  the  text  of  Unas 

the  shadow  is  mentioned  in  connection  with  the  "  form."^ 

In  the  Theban  Book  of  the    Dead   the  deceased  prays 

that  his  Ba  and  Khu  and  Shadow  may  not  be  shut  in  in 

the  Other  World,^  and  elsewhere^  we  read,  "  O  keep  not 

**  captive    my   Soul    (Ba),   O    keep    not  ward   over    my 

^'  Shadow,  but  let  a  way  be  opened  for  my  Soul  and  for 

*'  my  Shadow,  and  let  [me]  see  the  great  God   in  the 

"  shrine,  on  the  day  of  the  Judgment  of  Souls,  and  let 

*'  [me]  recite   the  words  of  Osiris,  whose  habitations  are 

"  hidden,  to   those  who  guard   the  members  of    Osiris, 

*'  and  who  keep  ward  over  the   Khu  (Spirits),  and  who 

"  hold   captive  the   shadows   of    the    dead,   who    would 

"  work  evil  against  me,  lest  they  work  evil  against  me." 

In    the    vignette    in    the    Papyrus  of   Ani  we  see  Ani 

standing  by  the  door  of  his  tomb,  and  his   soul  in  the 

form  of  a  human-headed  bird  hovering  over  his  spirit 

body.     In  a  variant  vignette*  the  soul  is  hovering  over 

the  shadow  of  the  deceased,  which  is  painted  solid  and 

black.     Further  on  in  the  text  of  the  same  Chapter  it  is 

said  :  "  Thou  shalt  have  dominion  over  thy  legs,  and  thou 

shalt   advance  to   thy  body  straightway  in    the   earth." 

These  passages  are  important,  for  they  show  :  ( i )  That 

there  were  believed  to  exist  certain   evil   Shadows  who 

would   do  harm  to  their  fellow  Shadows  if  they  could  ; 

^  Line  523. 

2  Chapter  XCI. 

3  Chapter  XCII. 

*  Papyrus  of  Nefer-uben-f. 


Doctrine  of  Last  Things  127 

(2)  That    the    Shadow  was   associated   with   the    Soul  ; 

(3)  That  the  Shadow  had  the  power  to  move  about  and 
to  go  where  it  Hked.  The  difference  between  the  spirit- 
body  and  the  Shadow  is  so  sHght  that  we  can  readily 
understand  how  easily  one  was  confounded  with  the 
other  in  men's  minds. 

The  Shadow  is  a  recognized  portion  of  man  among 
modern  African  peoples.  In  West  Africa  the  natives 
told  Dr.  Nassau  that  it  was  possible  for  a  human  being 
to  have  his  nsisim,  i.e.,  shadow,  stolen  or  otherwise  lost, 
and  for  him  to  exist  in  a  diseased  or  dying  state.  In 
this  case  his  body  would  cast  no  shadow.^  The  same 
authority  says  there  is  a  widespread  belief  among  the 
natives  in  a  "dual  soul,"  which  consists  of  a  "spirit," 
which,  as  far  as  is  known,  lives  for  ever  in  the  world  of 
spirits,  and  a  shadow,  which  for  an  uncertain  length  of 
time  hovers  around  the  mortal  remains.^  Here  we  seem 
to  have  a  confusion  between  the  spirit-body  and  the 
shadow  of  a  man.  The  shadow,  according  to  Miss 
Kingsley,  is  one  of  the  four  souls  of  man.  She  noticed 
that  men  would  march  happily  enough  through  forest  or 
grass  land  on  a  blazing  morning,  but  when  they  came  to 
a  piece  of  open  ground  they  would  go  round  it,  not 
across  it,  because  they  were  afraid  of  losing  their 
shadows.  They  only  do  this  at  noontime.  On  asking 
some  Bakwiri  why  they  were  not  anxious  about  losing 
their  souls  at  night  time,  she  was  told  that  at  night  all 
shadows  lay  down  in  the  shadow  of  the  Great  God,  and 
so  became  stronger.  Had  she  not  noticed  how  long  and 
strong  the  shadows  of  men,  trees,  and  mountains  were  in 
the  morning  }  Murders  are  sometimes  committed 
secretly  by  driving  a  nail  or  a  knife  into  a  man's  shadow.^ 
The  Nandi  think  that  the  human  soul  is  embodied  in 
a  person's  shadow,  and  it  is  firmly  believed  that  after 
death  the  shadows  of  both  good  and  bad  people  go 
underground  and  live  there.*  All  the  Nandi  are  afraid 
of  a  shadow.^     At  one  time  among  the  Bavili   it  was 

^  Fetichism  in  West  Africa,  P-  65. 
■■^  Ibid.,  p.  230. 

3    West  African  Studies,  p.  207. 
■*  Hollis,  The  Nandi,  p.  41. 
5  Ibid.,  p.  148. 

K   2 


128     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

considered  a  crime  for  one  person  to  trample  upon 
or  even  to  cross  the  shadow  of  another,  especially 
if  the  shadow  were  that  of  a  married  woman.  The 
shadow  was  supposed  to  sleep  in  the  body  of  its  owner 
at  night,  and  if  a  sorcerer  were  to  rob  a  man  of  his 
shadow  it  was  equivalent  to  taking  away  his  life.  The 
shadow  enters  and  leaves  the  body  by  the  mouth,  and  is 
then  likened  to  the  breath  of  a  man.  When  a  man  dies 
he  has  no  shadow,  and  when  he  falls  into  a  fit  or  trance 
the  Bavili  say  it  is  because  some  sorcerer  has  taken  his 
shadow.^  According  to  the  Fjort  the  Shadow  ceases  to 
exist  on  the  death  of  the  body.^ 

We  have  now  described  the  physical  body,  the  spirit- 
body,  the  double  and  the  shadow,  and  it  remains  to 
consider  the  African  beliefs  about  that  portion  of  a  man 
which  we  call  the  soul. 

The  Soul  of  the  Ka,  or  Body-Soul. 
To  one  of  the  constituents  of  man's  spiritual  economy 
the    Egyptians   gave  the  name  of  "Ba,"   (<^,  a  word 


which,  by  general  consent  among  Egyptologists,  is 
translated  "soul."  Various  attempts  have  been  made  to 
provide  a  derivation  for  the  word,  and  it  has  been 
thought  to  mean  something  like  "noble"  or  "sublime," 
but  all  such  derivations  are  mere  guesses,  and  it  must  be 
frankly  admitted  that  the  exact  idea  which  the  Egyptians 
associated  with  the  word  is  unknown.  The  texts  afford 
no  explanation  of  it,  but  they  give  a  certain  amount  of 
evidence  which  shows  us  generally  what  they  thought 
the  Ba  to  be,  and  this,  especially  when  compared  with 
modern  African  ideas  of  the  soul,  is  invaluable.  The 
Ba,  it  seems,  was  connected  closely  with  the  Ka  with 
which  it  dwelt,  and  it  appears  to  have  been  regarded  as 
the  soul  of  the  Ka.  It  was  not  incorporeal,  though  its 
nature  and  substance  were  somewhat  ethereal.  It  was 
gratified  by  the  offerings  made  to  the  Ka  of  the  dead 
body  in  the  tomb,  and  perhaps  it  partook  of  their  spirit 
entities.     It  revisited  its   Ka  and  the  body  in  the  tomb, 

^  Dennett,  At  the  Back  of  the  Black  Man's  Mind,  p.  80. 
^  Dennett,  Folklore  of  the  Fjort,  London,  1898,  p.  116. 


Doctrine  of  Last  Things  129 

and  it  could  take  up  its  abode  there  at  pleasure  ;  it  was 
free  to  travel  all  over  heaven,  and  to  mix  with  and  to 
hold  converse  with  souls  there,  and  it  could  take  any 
form  it  pleased.     The  Ba  of  a  man  was  represented  by 

a   bird  with   a   bearded    human    head    ^\  .     As  in  the 

Pyramid  Texts  we  read  of  a  "living  Ba,"^  we  must 
assume  that  there  was  such  a  thing  as  a  dead  Ba,  in 
other  words,  that  the  Ba  could  die.  The  Ba  could  live 
in  a  body  not  its  own,  for  at  their  pleasure  the  gods  sent 
their  Ba  into  the  dead  king  Unas.^  The  Egyptians 
believed  that  more  than  one  Ba  belonged  to  a  man,  for 
the  "  Baiu  "  or  "  souls  "  of  King  Pepi  were  placed  at  the 
head  of  the  Two  Companies  of  the  Gods.^  The  "  souls  " 
here  referred  to  are,  of  course,  the  other  portions  of  the 
spirit  entity  of  man  which  resemble  the  Ba  in  nature  and 
substance.  The  Egyptians  believed  that  the  Ba  might, 
by  the  agency  of  evil  spirits,  be  prevented  from  rejoining 
its  Ka  and  physical  body,  and  that  it  might  wander 
away  from  them,  and  even  be  shut  up  with  them  and 
unable  to  get  out.  Therefore  was  written  the  LXXXIst 
Chapter  of  the  Theban  Book  of  the  Dead,  in  which  the 
deceased  prayed :  "If  my  Ba  would  tarry,  let  it  be 
"  brought  to  me  from  whatsoever  place  it  may  be  in 
"...  let  me  have  my  Ba  and  my  Khu  ...  let  it  look 
"  upon  its  physical  body,  let  it  rest  upon  its  spirit-body." 
From  the  same  chapter  we  learn  that  the  rejoining  of 
the  Ba  to  its  Ka  and  body  was  supposed  to  take  place  in 
Heliopolis,  where  the  Soul  of  Osiris  rejoined  itself  to  the 
body  of  that  god.  According  to  one  view,  when  the  Ba 
visited  its  Ka  and  body  in  the  tomb  it  took  with  it  air 
and  food,  which  we  may  assume  were  intended  for  the 
Ka  ;  this  is  proved  by  the  vignette  in  the  Papyrus  of 
Neb-qet,*  in  which  the  Ba,  in  the  form  of  a  human- 
headed  bird,  is  actually  seen  descending  the  shaft  of  the 

1  Unas,  1.  455.  ^  Ibid.,  1.  522. 

^/\p^-cisii.ii-mnnnni 
mm'--'- 

*  Ed.  Deveria  and  Pierret,  Plate  3. 


130     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

pit  of  the  tomb  leading  to  the  mummy  chamber  bearing 
with  it  air  and  water. 

We  have  aheady  seen  that  offerings  were  made  to 
the  Ka,  and  a  passage  in  the  Book  of  the  Dead 
(Chapter  XXIXc)  suggests  that  the  Ka,  if  needing  food, 
had  the  power  of  making  the  Ba  to  bring  it.  The 
deceased  says  :  "I  am  the  Bennu,  the  Ba  of  Ra,  the 
"  guide  of  the  gods  of  the  Tuat.  Their  Baiu  (souls) 
"  come  forth  upon  earth  to  do  the  will  of  their  Kau, 
"  therefore  let  my  Ba  come  forth  to  do  the  will  of  my 


The  "  Doubles  "  of  Ani  and  his  wife  drinking  water  in  the  Other  World. 


"  Ka."  Now  the  vignette  of  this  Chapter  in  the 
Papyrus  of  Ani  is  a  heart  1^,  which  proves  that  in  the 
XVIIIth  dynasty  the  heart  was  somehow  associated 
with  the  Ba  and  the  Ka,  and  we  must,  it  seems  to  me, 
conclude  that  the  Ba  was  the  soul  of  the  Ka,  and  that 
its  seat  of  being  was  in  the  Ka. 

The  Heart. 

In  Egyptian  db^  y,  which  literally  means  "heart,"  is 
used  to  express  wish,  longing,  desire,  lust,  will,  courage, 
mind,  wisdom,   sense,   intelligence,    manner,  disposition, 

^  The  Semitic  word  for  "heart"  (Heb.  ^T",  Syr.  t^-i\« ,  Arab.  JJ, 
Eth.  ^r^  ;)  may  be  connected  with  this  word. 


Doctrine  of  Last  Things  131 

attention,  intention,  etc.,  and  it  is  clear  that  the  heart 
was  regarded  as  the  seat  of  Hfe,  and  as  the  home  of  the 
passions,  both  good  and  bad,  and  as  the  seat  of  the 
pleasures  derived  from  eating,  drinking,  and  the  carnal 
appetite.  There  appears  to  have  been  a  soul  which  was 
connected  with  the  heart.  It  was  not,  I  believe,  the 
soul  as  we  usually  understand  it,  but  the  heart-soul.^ 
The  importance  of  the  heart  to  the  deceased  will  be 
readily  understood  from  the  fact  that  no  less  than  five 
Chapters  of  the  Book  of  the  Dead  (XXVI-XXX)  are 
devoted,  to  its  preservation.  In  one  of  these  (XXVI) 
the  deceased  prays  for  a  heart,  for,  if  he  has  no  heart, 
he  says  :  "I  cannot  eat  of  the  cakes  of  Osiris  on  the 
"  east  bank  of  the  Lake  of  Flowers.  .  .  .  With  the 
"  mastery  of  my  heart  I  am  master  of  my  arms  and  legs, 
"  and  I  can  do  whatsoever  my  Ka  pleaseth,  and  my 
"  soul  will  not  be  fettered  at  the  orates  of  the  Tuat." 
Here,  clearly,  we  see  that  the  welfare  of  the  soul  depends 
upon  that  of  the  heart.  In  the  XXVI I th  Chapter  the 
deceased  appeals  to  the  "stealers  of  hearts  "^  not  to  take 
his  heart-soul  away;  and  in  the  XXVI I Ith  he  prays 
that  his  heart-soul  may  not  be  carried  off  by  the  War- 
gods  of  Heliopolis,^  and  that  it  may  not  be  given  to 
Suti  (Set).  The  vignette  represents  the  deceased 
seated  and  clasping  his  heart  to  his  breast  with  his  left 
hand,  in  the  presence  of  a  monster,  the  form  of  which 
appears  to  be  derived  from  that  of  the  ourang-outang, 
or  the  soko,  of  the  forests  of  the  Sudan.  In  the 
XXIXth  Chapter  the  deceased  prays  that  his  heart  may 
be  neither  taken  away  from  him,  nor  killed,  and  he 
identifies  himself  with  Horus,  the  "dweller  in  hearts," 
and  with  the  "lord  of  hearts,  the  slayer  of  the  heart." 
In  Chapter  XXX  he  addresses  with  reverence  the  heart 
of  Osiris,  and  the  intestines  [of  the  god]  and  the  Four 
Sons  of  Horus,  who  protect  the  viscera.  The  contents 
of  the  famous  "  Heart-Chapter  "  (XXXb)  have  already 
been  described  ;  in  this  the  heart  and  its  soul  are 
addressed  by  the  deceased. 


^  On  the  Heart-soul,  Hdii,  see  infra,  p.  137. 


^cA\\rv    'o^^iii^i 


132     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

Among  modern  African  peoples  the  heart  of  both 
man  and  beast  is  regarded  as  the  source  of  all  life, 
emotion,  passion,  movement,  and  strength,  and  in  the 
case  of  man  the  heart  is  often  identified  with  the  soul/ 
Thus  the  Ba-Huana  call  the  soul  and  the  heart  by  the 
same  name — "  Bun."^  The  priests  of  Ogun  used  to 
take  out  the  hearts  of  human  victims,  and  reduce  them 
to  powder,  which  they  mixed  with  rum  and  sold  to 
persons  who  wished  to  be  endowed  with  great  courage. 
Such  people  swallowed  the  mixture,  and  believed  that 
by  doing  so  they  absorbed  all  the  courage  of  the  dead.^ 
Among  the  Nandi  the  warrior  always  ate  a  small  portion 
of  the  heart  of  the  dead  man  in  order  to  make  himself 
brave.*  The  heart  of  the  lion,  the  elephant,  and  other 
mighty  beasts  has  always  been  prized,  and  eaten  joyfully 
by  the  natives,  and  as  a  proof  that  the  custom  is  still 
observed  we  may  quote  the  experience  of  the  unfortunate 
Lieut.  Boyd  Alexander.  After  he  killed  a  lion,  and  the 
beast  had  been  skinned,  John,  his  cook,  secured  all  but 
a  little  corner  of  the  heart,  and  having  dried  it  took  it 
home  to  make  strong  the  heart  of  his  little  son.^ 

The  Spirit-Soul  (Khu). 

The  exact  meaning  of  the  \vord  Khu,  or,  as  it  is 
written  in  the  Pyramid  Texts  Aakku,  is  very  hard  to 
discover,  and  authorities  have  differed  greatly  in  their 
translations  of  the  word,  and  in  their  descriptions  of  what 
the  Khu  is.  That  it  was  a  very  important  portion  of  a 
man  is  clear  from  texts  of  all  periods,  and  there  is  no 
doubt  that  it  was  supposed  to  be  eternal.  The  Pyramid 
Texts  prove  that  the  Khu  of  the  gods  lived  in  heaven, 
and  thither  wended  the  Khu  of  a  man  as  soon  as  ever  the 
prayers  said  over  the  dead  body  enabled  it  to  do  so. 
King  Unas  "  stood  at  the  head  of  the  Khu,"^  i.e.,  he  was 
the  chief  of  all  the  Khu  ;  and  when  the  souls  of  the  gods 
transferred    themselves    from   their  own  spirit-bodies  to 

^  Ellis,  Yoruba-speaking  Peoples,  pp.  126,  127. 

^  Torday  and  Joyce,  op.  cit.,  p.  291. 

^  Ibid.,  p.  69. 

*  Hollis,  The  Nandi,  p.  27. 

^  From  the  Niger  to  the  Nile,  p.  61. 

^  Line  71. 


Doctrine  of  Last  Things  133 

Unas,  their  Khu  were  before  Unas/  The  god  received 
the  king-  as  a  brother,  and  placed  him  among  the 
"  imperishable  Khu."^  The  last  passage  is  important, 
for  the  hieroglyphic  determinatives  suggest  that  the  Khu 
were  beings  of  light,  comparable  to  the  stars,  and  the 
evidence  of  other  passages  supports  this  view,  and 
indicates  that  the  Khu  of  a  man  was  the  intangible, 
ethereal,  transparent  portion  of  his  immaterial  economy, 
to  which  modern  nations  have  given  the  name  of 
"  spirit."  The  Khu  is  mentioned  in  connection  with  the 
Ba  and  the  Khaibit  (Soul  and  Shadow),^  and  with  the  Ba 
and  the  Ka  (Soul  and  Double),*  but  it  is  clear  that  it  is 
something  quite  distinct  from  the  Ka,  Ba,  and  Khaibit, 
though  in  some  respects  it  must  have  possessed  cha- 
racteristics similar  to  these  immaterial  entitles  of  man. 
We  have  seen  that  the  texts  speak  of  man  having  more 
than  one  "  soul,"  and  that  the  Egyptian,  like  the  modern 
African,  thought  that  he  possessed  three  at  least,  the  Ka, 
or  Double,  the  Ba,  or  Heart-soul,  and  the  Khu.  The 
Khaibit  or  Shadow  was  confused  at  times  with  the  Ka. 
It  appears,  then,  that  the  Khu  is  the  Spirit,  or  Spirit- 
soul  of  a  man,  which  it  was  impossible  to  injure  or  kill, 
and  that  it  was  the  vital  principle  of  a  man  and  was 
immortal.  The  Ka  perished  if  offerings  were  not  pro- 
vided for  it,  and  the  Ba  (Heart-soul)  might,  it  was 
thought,   also    die,    but   the    Khu   was    "  imperishable." 

Appertaining   to  the   Khu   was    the    SekhemnY®^^.  1 

the  functions  of  which  are  not  known  exactly  ;  the  word 
means  "power,"  and  it  may  be  an  immaterial  personifi- 
cation of  the  energy  of  a  man.  To  King  Pepi  it  is  said  : 
"  Thy  Sekhem  cometh  among  the  Khu  "  ;^  "  thy  Sekhem 
is  pure  among  the  Khu  "  f  "  thou  art  pure,  thy  Ka  is 
pure,  thy  Ba  is  pure,  thy  Sekhem  is  pure."'^  Osiris  and 
every  god  had  his  Sekhem,  and  Ra  is  called  the  "  Great 
Sekhem,  the  Sekhem  among  the  Sekhemu."^ 

^  Line  522. 

3  Book  of  the  Dead,  Chapter  XCI. 
*  Idid.,  Chapter  CLXXXIII,  1.  35. 
^  Line  13.         ^  Line  113.         "^  Line  112.         ^  Unas,  11.  514,  515. 


134     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

From  the  above  facts  we  are  able  to  state  the 
following : — 

When  an  Egyptian  was  born  he  was  believed  to 
possess  a  physical  body  ( Khat)  and  an  immaterial  Double 
(Ka),  which  lived  inside  the  body  and  was  associated 
closely  with  the  Ba,  which  dwelt  in  the  heart,  and  which 
appears  to  have  been  connected  with  the  Shadow  of  the 
physical  body.  Somewhere  in  the  body  lived  the  Khu 
or  Spirit-soul,  the  nature  of  which  was  unchangeable, 
incorruptible,  and  immortal.  When  the  body  died  there 
could  be  raised  from  it  by  means  of  words,  holy  or 
magical,    and  ceremonies   performed    by    the    priests,    a 


Isis  giving  bread  and  water  to  the  Heart-soul. 


Spirit-body  called  Sahu,  which  the  Khu  (Spirit-soul) 
could  inhabit  at  pleasure.  The  Ka,  Ba,  or  Heart-soul, 
and  Shadow  dwelt  in  the  tomb  with  the  body,  or 
wandered  about  outside  it  and  away  from  it,  when  they 
desired  to  do  so.  Their  existence  was  finite,  and  appears 
to  have  terminated  whenever  funerary  offerings  failed  to 
be  made  to  them.  As  all  tomb-endowments  came  to  an 
end  sooner  or  later,  the  destruction  of  the  Ka  and  its  soul 
and  shadow  was  certain.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Sahu, 
or  Spirit-body,  which  was  revivified  from  the  physical 
body,  was  wholly  independent  of  offerings,  for  it  derived 
its  sustenance  from  the  Khu,  or  Spirit-soul,  and  this 
was  self-existent  and  immortal.  Therefore  it  was  the 
Sahu  which  entered  heaven  and  lived  with  Osiris  and  the 
blessed    for   all  eternity.      This   being  so    it   is   easy  to 


Doctrine  of  Last  Things  135 

understand  why  the  Egyptians  took  such  pains  to  pre- 
serve the  bodies  of  their  dead  by  mummification,  and 
why  the  custom  of  embalming  the  dead  continued  in 
Egypt  for  some  centuries  after  the  introduction  of 
Christianity  into  that  country,  in  fact  until  the  doctrine 
preached  by  Saint  Anthony  became  known.  This  great 
ascetic  taught  men  to  believe  that  Christ  would,  at  the 
Resurrection,  give  them  back  their  bodies  in  a  glorified 
state,  and  that  therefore  mummification  was  unnecessary 
for  the  genesis  of  the  spiritual  body. 

If  we  consider  the  facts  stated  in  the  preceding  para- 
graphs as  a  whole,  and  compare  the  Egyptian's  belief 
about  the  constituent  parts  of  his  spiritual  entity  with  the 
beliefs  of  other  ancient  peoples,  we  find  nothing 
resembling  it.  It  stands  quite  alone,  and  it  is  not  until 
we  come  to  examine  the  modern  African  beliefs  con- 
cerning the  soul  that  we  find  anything  similar  to  it.  It 
will  be  seen  from  the  facts  given  below  that  among  the 
tribes  of  the  Sudan  and  Western  Africa  exactly  parallel 
beliefs  exist,  and  we  are  driven  to  conclude  that  the 
eschatological  ideas  of  the  Egyptians  were  not  peculiar 
to  themselves,  but  belonged  to  the  indigenous  peoples  of 
those  parts  of  Africa. 

The  Dual-Soul  of  the  Modern  African. 

Speaking  generally,  the  belief  in  a  future  life  among 
modern  Africans  is  as  universal  as  the  belief  in  God. 
The  Masai  say  that  when  a  man  dies  and  is  eaten  by  a 
hyena,  all  is  over  with  him,  and  that  the  soul  does  not 
come  to  life  again.  They  say  also,  somewhat  inconsis- 
tently, that  when  a  medicine  man  dies,  or  a  rich  man, 
and  is  buried,  his  soul  turns  into  a  snake  as  soon  as  his 
body  rots  ;  and  the  snake  goes  to  his  children's  kraal  to 
look  after  them.^  The  Bari  think  that  when  a  man  dies, 
the  person  is  gone  absolutely,  never  to  return,  in  fact 
that  a  man  is  "worn  out."^  The  Bahima  believe  in  the 
spiritual  existence  of  chiefs,^  according  to  Sir  Harry 
Johnston,  but  Mr.   Cunningham  says  that  they  have  no 

^  Hollis,  The  Masai,  p.  307.     See  also  Johnston,  Uganda,  p.  832. 
2  Frobenius,  Die  Heiden-Neger,  p.  137. 
2  Johnston,  Uganda,  Vol.  I,  p.  631. 


136     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

belief  in  kings  or  warriors  coming  back.^  Neither  the 
Masai  nor  the  Bahima  appear  to  bury  the  bodies 
of  ordinary  folk,  for  the  former  throw  them  out  into  the 
bush,  and  the  latter  hang  them  on  the  branches  of  trees 
for  the  hyenas  to  eat,^  but  kings  and  chiefs  are  buried, 
because  it  is  thought  that  their  existence  does  not  end 
with  the  death  of  their  bodies.  Although  the  African 
may  say  that  he  does  not  believe  in  the  resurrection  of 
the  body,  his  acts  prove  that  he  takes  the  existence  of 
the  soul  in  another  life  for  granted.  Mr.  Nassau  found 
that  the  very  people  who  were  declaring  unhesitatingly 
that  men  came  to  an  end  like  goats,  dogs,  and  chickens, 
took  the  greatest  care  of  their  family  fetish,  and  sacrificed 
diligently  to  the  spirits  of  their  ancestors,  and  appealed 
to  them  for  help  in  their  family  undertakings.^ 

In  West  Africa  the  belief  in  the  Dual-soul,  i.e.,  the 
soul  of  the  body,  and  the  soul,  or,  as  we  may  call  it, 
the  "  Spirit-soul,"  is  well-nigh  universal.  The  soul  of 
the  body,  the  Egyptian  Ba,  is  mortal,  but  the  Spirit- 
soul,  the  Egyptian  Khu,  is  immortal.  Nothing  is 
soulless  to  the  African,  and  even  matter  is  thought  to 
be  a  form  of  soul,  of  a  low  order  it  is  true,  which  souls 
of  a  higher  nature  can  make  use  of.*  It  is  generally 
thought  that,  in  addition  to  the  Body-soul  and  the 
Spirit-soul,  man  possesses  also  a  Life-soul  and  a  Dream- 
soul.  The  Life-soul  is  viewed  in  different  ways  by 
different  peoples.  According  to  some  it  is  of  equal 
importance  with  the  Body-soul  and  the  Spirit-soul,  but 
others  regard  it  as  a  member  of  a  class  of  spirits  which 
is  associated  with  man  from  his  birth  to  his  death.  All 
agree  that  it  has  its  abode  in  the  physical  heart,  and 
that  it  can  be  drawn  away  from  the  heart  by  witchcraft ; 
when  the  Life-soul  is  stolen  from  a  man  his  body  dies. 
Some  regard  the  Life-soul  as  a  sort  of  guardian  spirit, 
and  at  times  it  is  spoken  of  as  if  it  were  a  man's 
conscience,  and  it  is  important  to  note  that  a  kind  of 
worship  is  accorded  to  it  as  to   spirits.     The   general 

^    Uganda  and  Its  Peoples,  p.  12. 

^   Uganda,  p.  632.     There  is  no  future  life  for  women  or  common 
folk. — Ibid.,  p.  832. 

^  Fetichism  in  West  Africa,  p.  53. 

*  Kingsley,  West  African  Studies,  p.  199. 


Doctrine  of  Last  Things  137 

drift  of  the  evidence  which  we  have  about  it  suggests 
that  this  Life-soul  is  nothing  more  nor  less  than  the  soul 
of  the  heart,  and  that  it  was  known  to  the  Egyptians. 
In  the  Chapters  of  the  Book  of  the  Dead  which 
deal  with  the  heart  are  two  words  commonly  rendered 

heart  by  translators.     The  first  of  these   is   db,  i]  J       > 

and  the  second  is  hati}  -=^  O-     Thus  in  Chapter  XXXa 

the  deceased  says  :  "  My  db,  my  mother  !  My  hati,  my 
being ! "  It  is  quite  easy  to  say  that  db  and  hati  are 
synonyms,  and  to  translate  accordingly,  but  the  Egyptian 
must  have  made  some  distinction  in  his  mind  when  he 
used  them,  and  it  seems  to  me  that  in  the  earliest  times 
db  meant  the  physical  heart,  and  hati  the  soul  of  the 
heart,  or  the  state,  or  quality,  or  mental  condition,  of 
the  heart.  Both  the  db  and  the  hati  could  be  stolen,  as 
the  titles  of  the  Chapters  in  the  Book  of  the  Dead 
prove,  and  the  result  would  be  in  either  case  the  same 
to  the  body,  namely,  death.  The  db  could  be  given  to  a 
man  (Chapter  XXVI),  or  carried  away  from  a  man 
(Chapter  XXIX),  or  struck  dead  (Chapter  XXIXa),  or 
a  model  of  it  could  be  made  in  sehert  stone  (Chapter 
XXIXb),  or  it  could  be  spoken  against,  or  cursed,  or 
bewitched  (Chapters  XXXa,  XXXb).  The  hati  could 
only  be  carried  off,  or  stolen,  and  the  vignette  of 
Chapter  XXVII  in  the  Papyrus  of  Ani  proves  that  the 
deceased  adored  it,  for  we  see  him  standing  reverently 
before  the  hati,  which,  in  the  form  of  a  heart,  is  set  upon 

a  pedestal  before  him    O  •     In  the  scene  of  the  weighing 

of  the  heart  which  is  found  in  fine  papyri,  the  heart  seen 
in  one  pan  of  the  Balance  probably  represents  the  Hati, 
or  Heart-soul. 

The  name  "  Dream-soul  "  is  given  to  that  part  of  a 
man  which  is  thought  sometimes  to  leave  him  durinof 
sleep,  and  to  wander  away  into  strange  places,  where  it 
sometimes  meets  with  remarkable  adventures.  Some- 
times it  enjoys  its  freedom  so  greatly,  and  so  delights  in 
its  intercourse  with  other  Dream-souls,  that  it  forgets  to 
come  back  to  its  body  before  the  man  wakes  up.      If  it 

1  In  Coptic  2>HT. 


138     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

does  come  back  in  time  its  reunion  with  its  body  dulls 
its  faculties,  and  the  person,  in  his  efforts  to  remember 
or  to  tell  what  he  has  seen,  relates  only  the  vagaries  of  a 
dream.  If  it  does  not  come  back  in  time,  the  man  to 
whom  it  belongs  falls  seriously  ilV  and  recourse  must  be 
had  to  a  witch-doctor,  if  his  life  is  to  be  preserved.  The 
witch-doctor  professes  to  be  able  to  bring  back  the 
Dream-soul  to  its  home,  but  there  is  a  great  deal  of 
fraud  connected  with  the  process.  It  is  most  important 
for  a  man  that  every  soul  of  his  shall  be  in  him,  for  any 
breach  in  the  intercommunication  of  his  souls  is  followed 
by  the  decay  and  death  of  his  body.  If  the  Dream-soul 
of  a  man  has  lost  itself,  a  new  one  must  be  found  to  take 
its  place,  for  the  abode  where  it  lives  in  a  man  must  in 
no  case  be  left  empty,  otherwise  a  "  Sisa,"  i.e.,  the  soul 
of  some  person  who  has  not  been  properly  buried,  will 
step  into  it  and  dwell  there.  Unfortunately  a  Sisa  is 
usually  accompanied  by  a  crowd  of  devils,  or  evil  spirits, 
and  these  enter  a  man  with  it,  and  produce  illnesses  of 
all  kinds,  fever,  delirium,  convulsions,  etc.,  which  must 
cause  death  unless  they  and  the  Sisa  can  be  ejected  from 
the  body.^  It  is  a  prevalent  belief  that  Dream-souls 
which  lose  themselves  are  caught  by  witch-doctors,  who 
set  traps  for  them  in  a  systematic  manner,  and  then  sell 
them  to  their  original  owners  at  high  prices.  Though  a 
man  has  a  Dream-soul  substitute  in  him,  which  in  a 
general  way  is  satisfactory,  he  is  never  really  comfortable 
until  he  gets  his  own  Dream-soul  back,  and  he  usually 
spares  no  pains  to  effect  its  capture.  Sometimes  the 
witch-doctor  is  paid  by  an  enemy  of  the  man  to  whom 
the  Dream-soul  belongs,  to  keep  it  in  captivity  and 
thereby  to  cause  his  death  ;  in  such  cases  it  is  not  only 
caught  and  kept,  but  tortured,  and  hung  up  over  the 
canoe  fire,  and  so  on.^ 

Yet  another  soul  of  man  is  believed  to  exist  by  the 
Africans,  viz.,  the  Bush-soul.  It  lives  in  some  animal 
in  the  forest,  a  pig,  or  a  leopard,  and  offerings  are  made 
to  it ;  these  are  placed  in  small  huts  built  far  away  in 
the  forest.     If  the  animal  in  which  is  a  Bush-soul  dies  or 

^  Nassau,  Fetichism  in  West  Africa,  p.  55. 
2  Kingsley,  West  African  Studies,  p.  203. 
^  Kingsley,  West  African  Studies^  p.  206. 


Doctrine  of  Last  Things  139 

is  killed,  the  man  who  is  connected  with  the  soul  dies 
also  ;  and  if  the  man  dies  or  is  killed,  the  animal  con- 
taining his  Bush-soul  contrives  to  die  or  be  killed  also.^ 
These  three  souls,  the  Life-soul,  the  Dream-soul,  and 
the  Bush-soul,  appear  to  be  phases  of  the  Body-soul, 
and  it  seems  to  me  that  actually  the  Egyptian  and  the 
African  only  know  of  the  Dual-soul,  i.e.,  the  Body-soul 
and  the  Spirit-soul. 

Transmigration  of  Souls  and  Transformation. 

The  Egyptians  believed  in  the  transmigration  of 
souls,  and  their  priests  composed  a  series  of  Chapters,^ 
the  recital  of  which  enabled  the  souls  of  the  dead  to  take 
any  form  they  pleased.  A  soul  could  become  a  golden 
hawk,  a  divine  hawk,  a  tchatcha  chief,  a  god  of  light,  a 
lily,^  the  god  Ptah,  a  Bennu  bird,  a  heron,  a  "  living 
soul,"  a  swallow,  a  serpent,  and  a  crocodile.  It  could 
remain  in  each  of  these  so  long  as  it  pleased,  presumably 
without  losing  its  identity,  and  it  could  pass  from  one 
form  to  another  at  pleasure.  By  passing  into  the  body 
of  a  Light-god  it  became  an  equal  of  the  luminaries  of 
heaven,  as  a  bird  it  could  explore  the  sky,  as  a  serpent 
the  earth,  and  as  a  crocodile  it  could  travel  whither  it 
pleased  in  the  waters.  Among  modern  Africans  the 
belief  is  current  that  the  souls  of  men  make  periodic 
migrations  into  hyenas,*  in  order  to  attack  and  injure 
or  kill  those  who  have  done  their  bodies  harm. 
Dr.  Junker's  servant  Ahmad  told  him  a  story  of  a 
woman  in  Sennaar  who  had  been  turned  into  a  hyena'' 
by  witchcraft,  an  occurrence  of  which,  he  assured  him, 
he  had  been  an  eye-witness.^     The  human  soul  which 

^  Ibid..,  p.  208. 

2  See  Book  of  the  Dead,  Chapters  LXXVI-LXXXVIII. 

^  It  is  curious  to  find  a  flower  mentioned  in  this  category,  for  though 
the  African  gives  a  soul  to  vegetable  matter,  he  denies  to  it  mind  and 
intelligence. — Leonard,  The  Lower  Niger,  p.  i88. 

•*  Schweinfurth,  Heart  of  Africa,  Vol.  II,  p.  322. 

^  The  Nandi  believe  that  hyenas  talk  like  human  beings  and  that 
they  hold  converse  with  the  spirits  of  the  dead.  They  say  the  hyenas 
are  hermaphrodites,  and  they  are  supposed  to  put  on  spectacles,  and  an 
apparatus  to  assist  their  hearing  ;  they  are  supposed  to  intercede  with 
the  spirits  of  the  dead,  so  that  the  lives  of  children  placed  on  their 
paths  may  be  spared. —  HoUis,  The  Natidi,  p.  7. 

^  Junker's  Travels  in  Africa,  Vol.  I,  p.  333. 


140     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

enters  into  an  animal  does  not  necessarily  lose  its  human 
personality,  or  change  into  that  of  a  beast,  and  the  belief 
in  this  possibility  does  not  include  the  idea  of  a  per- 
manent residence  in  the  animal.^  A  human  soul  in  an 
animal  may  do  harm  to  members  of  its  own  family,  as  in 
the  case  of  the  soul-possessed  elephant  at  Benita  in  1867, 
which  was  laying  waste  a  certain  plantation.  When 
the  owner  was  asked  why  he  did  not  shoot  it,  he  said  he 
dared  not,  as  the  spirit  of  his  father  who  had  died 
recently  had  passed  into  it.^  The  Wanyamwesi  of  East 
Africa  believe  in  transmigration,  both  during  life  and 
after  it.  In  Mashonaland  they  believe  that  both  the 
living  and  the  dead  can  change  themselves  into  animals, 
either  to  execute  some  vengeance,  or  to  procure  some- 
thing they  wish  for.  Thus  a  man  will  change  himself 
into  a  hyena  or  lion  to  steal  a  sheep  and  make  a  good 
meal  of  it,  or  into  a  serpent  to  avenge  himself  on  some 
enemy.^  According  to  the  Barotse,  the  spirit  of  a  chief 
takes  up  its  abode  in  a  hippopotamus,  but  yet  they  carry 
water  to  his  tomb.*  The  tribes  of  the  Lower  Niger 
think  that  certain  individuals  can  transform  the  human 
body  into  that  of  an  animal,  and  vice  versa,  and  that 
human  beings  can  be  possessed  by  souls  of  animals. 
The  human  soul  does  not  alter  the  character  of  the 
animal,  but  the  animal  soul  in  a  man  debases  him.^  This 
power  of  transformation  is  called  "  Ehehe."  Major 
A.  G.  Leonard  mentions  the  case  of  a  woman  of  Utshi 
who  was  accused  of  causing  the  death  of  one  Oru,  who 
was  devoured  by  a  crocodile.  This  she  was  supposed 
to  have  done  by  projecting  her  Spirit-soul  into  the 
crocodile  which  devoured  him,  and  not  by  transforming 
herself  into  the  animal.^  In  Southern  Guinea  it  is 
believed  that  a  man  can  turn  himself  into  a  tiger  and 
destroy  the  lives  and  property  of  his  fellow  men.  He 
can  also  turn  his  enemy  into  an  elephant  and  kill  him.''^ 
Among   the  Yorubas   a   belief  is   current  to   the    effect 

1  Nassau,  Fetichism,  p.  56. 

2  Ibid.,  p.  58. 

3  Decle,  in  Nassau,  op.  cit.,  pp.  71,  230,  231. 
■*  Decle,  Three  Years  in  Savage  Africa,  p.  74. 

^  Leonard,  The  Lower  Niger  and  Its  Tribes,  p.  189. 

6  Ibid.,  p.  194. 

"^  Wilson,   Western  Africa,  p.  398. 


Doctrine  of  Last  Things  141 

that  men  can  transform  themselves  into  trees,  shrubs, 
rocks,  etc.,  as  well  as  into  animals.^  Up  and  down  the 
main  Congo  the  Bantu  populations  consider  it  possible 
for  the  spirits  of  dead  and  living  men  to  enter  the  bodies 
of  buffaloes,  leopards,  and  crocodiles,  in  order  that  they 
may  inflict  injuries  on  their  enemies.  The  Busoko 
cannibals  of  the  lower  Aruwimi  believe  in  a  kind  of 
transmigration  of  souls. ^  Thus  from  one  side  of  Africa 
to  the  other  we  find  that  the  belief  in  the  transmigration 
of  souls  is  general,  but  it  may  be  noted  that  among 
modern  peoples  it  is  usually  associated  with  evil  intent. 
The  object  of  all  the  transformations  provided  for  the 
Egyptian  was  to  do  good  to  him,  and  to  benefit  him, 
and  not  to  enable  him  to  do  harm  to  other  people.  Still, 
the  facts  prove  that  the  Egyptians  and  the  modern 
Africans  held  precisely  similar  views  about  the  trans- 
migrations of  souls. 

New  Birth  and  Reincarnation. 

There  are  at  least  two  passages  in  the  Theban 
Recension  of  the  Book  of  the  Dead  which  show  that  the 
Egyptians  believed  in  the  possibility  of  a  "second  birth." 
The  first  occurs  in  the  LXIVth  Chapter,  in  which  the 
deceased  identifies  himself  with  the  "  God  of  the  hidden 
soul,  the  Creator  of  the  gods,"  and  refers  to  his  second 
birth,^  and  the  second  in  the  CLXXXIInd  Chapter, 
wherein  Osiris  is  addressed  as  "he  who  giveth  birth  to 
men  and  women  a  second  time."*  The  context  in  the 
latter  case  suggests  that  the  new  birth  or  re-birth  here 
referred  to  did  not  take  place  in  this  world,  but  in  the 
kingdom  of  Osiris,  and  in  the  former  case  the  new  birth 
of  the  deceased  seems  to  resemble  the  re-birth  of  Ra, 
the  Sun-god,  who,  it  was  thought,  was  re-born  daily. 
In  neither  case  can  the  re-birth  be  considered  as  re- 
incarnation as  the  word  is  understood  at  the  present 
time. 

^  Ellis,  Yoruba-speaking  Peoples,  i>.  123. 

2  Johnston,  George  Grenfell,  Vol.  II,  p.  632, 

H 

a  © 


VOL.  II. 


i^k^ilik/ 


142     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

Among  modern  African  peoples  it  is  believed  that  a 
considerable  number  of  the  souls  of  the  dead  pass  into 
the  bodies  of  their  descendants,  and  live  there  per- 
manently.^ The  idea  of  reincarnation  is  very  strong  in 
the  Niger  Delta  tribes.  Among  them,  Miss  Kingsley 
says  :  "  Most — I  think  I  may  say  all — human  souls  of  the 
'  surviving  soul '  class  are  regarded  as  returning  to  the 
earth  again,  and  undergoing  a  reincarnation  shortly  after 
the  due  burial  of  the  soul.^  When  a  baby  arrives  in  the 
house  after  the  death  of  a  chief,  articles  which  once 
belonged  to  deceased  members  of  the  house  are  pre- 
sented to  it,  and  then,  according  to  the  one  it  picks  out, 
it  is  decided  who  that  baby  really  is — See,  Uncle  So- 
and-so  knows  his  own  pipe,  etc., — and  I  have  often 
heard  a  mother  reproaching  a  child  for  some  fault  say  : 
'  Oh,  we  made  a  big  mistake  when  we  thought  you  were 
So-and-so.'  "^  According  to  popular  belief,  a  certain 
proportion  of  spirits,  who  have  recuperated  their 
evidently  diminishing  energy  during  their  stay  in  spirit- 
land,  are  obliged  to  be  re-born  into  their  own  family. 
Thus  we  have  a  belief  in  a  reversion  to  the  ancestral 
type.  These  spirits,  who  are  chosen  by  the  "  dormant 
or  self-existent  Creator,"  are  those  of  men  of  strong 
character  and  moral  stamina,  especially  those  who  have 
been  good  domestic  managers,  traders,  farmers,  or 
hunters,  but  not  necessarily  men  of  commanding  ability 
or  marked  individuality.  The  re-birth  of  the  soul  into 
the  human  body  is  not  merely  a  belief,  in  the  ordinary 
sense  of  the  word,  but  a  conviction,  that  neither  argument, 
satire,  nor  ridicule  will  uproot  or  even  shake.  Proof  of 
re-birth  depends  on  physical  and  external  similarities  of 
appearance  between  the  living  or  human  and  the  departed 
or  spirit  elements,  and  in  making  comparisons  particular 
attention  is  paid  to  birth-marks,  scars,  cicatrices,  defects, 
deformities,  etc.  In  addition,  the  expression  of  the 
intelligence  and  individuality  is  taken  into  consideration, 
and  the  testimony  of  the  dream -soul  communications, 
and  the  feeling  of  the  absolute  immutability  of  the 
creative    principle.       This    conviction    is    so    inflexible, 

^  Nassau,  Feiichism,  p.  56. 

2  Travels  in  West  Africa,  p.  461. 

^  Kingsley,   West  African  Studies,  p.  145. 


Doctrine  of  Last  Things  143 

handed  down  as  it  has  been  in  uninterrupted  succession 
for  thousands  and  thousands  of  years,  from  father  to  son, 
and  from  mother  to  daughter,  that  when  an  infant  having 
a  mark  of  some  kind  on  its  body  dies,  and  another 
happens  to  be  born  with  a  mark  in  any  way  similar,  or 
bearing  the  slightest  resemblance  to  it,  it  is  at  once  said 
to  be  the  same  child  born  over  again.  It  is  the  custom 
of  the  tribes  all  over  the  Niger  Delta  to  give  the  child  a 
name  which  implies  "  re-born."^ 

Many  pygmy  tribes  think  that  their  dead  relations 
live  again  in  the  form  of  the  red  bush-pig,*^  and  the  Banza 
of  the  Western  Mubangi  basin  believe  that  their  chiefs 
are  reincarnated  in  chimpanzis.^ 

Death. 

The  Egyptian  theologians  believed  that  there  was  a 
time  when  there  was  no  death,*  but  that  time  was  when 
the  god  Temu  alone  existed,  and  before  he  created 
the  heavens  and  the  earth,  and  men  and  "gods." 
How  and  why  death  came  the  texts  do  not  tell,  but, 
judging  from  the  views  which  are  held  in  the  Sudan  at 
the  present  time,  we  may  assume  that  the  Egyptians 
regarded  death  as  the  means  necessary  to  enable  man  to 
continue  his  existence  after  the  breath  left  his  material 
body.  The  present  world  was  to  them  merely  the  ante- 
chamber of  the  Other  World  ;  a  man's  house  in  this 
world   was   a   temporary  abode,    but  his    tomb   was  his 

"eternal  house,"  ^1-^     '^^^  philosopher  counselled 

men  to  enjoy  themselves, *"  to  anoint  and  scent  their  bodies, 
to  wear  garlands  and  lilies,  to  cherish  the  woman  beloved, 
to  sing  and  dance,  to  put  away  trouble  and  sorrow,  and 

^  Leonard,  The  Lower  Niger  and  Its  Tribes^  p.  210  f. 

'^  Johnston,  Uganda,  p.  539. 

^  Johnston,  George  Grenfell,  Vol.  II,  p.  632. 

■""'^      O  K^  •      Text  of  Pepi  I,  1.  664. 

"''  The  Dahoman  considers  this  present  hfe  as  only  a  means  of 
attaining  an  eternal  status  :  Earth  is  only  a  temporary  dwelling-place  ; 
Hades  is  their  "  home." — Skertchley,  Dahomey  as  It  is,  p.  462. 

I )  "  make  a  happy  day." 

L    2 


144     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

to  think  only  on  things  which  yield  pleasure,  until  the 
day  when  they  must  come  into  port  in  the  land  that 
loveth  silence.^  "  Follow  after  enjoyment  and  forget 
care,"  was  the  advice  given  by  his  soul  to  the  man  weary 
of  life, ^  and  the  dead  lady  That-I-em-hetep  advised  her 
husband  to  eat,  drink,  marry  wives,  enjoy  himself,  and  to 
have  no  thought  or  care  or  sorrow  so  long-  as  he  lived. 
For,  she  adds,  Amenti  is  a  place  of  stupor  and  darkness, 
and  Death  calleth  every  one  to  him,  gods  and  men,  and 
great  and  little  are  all  one  to  him,  and  he  seizeth  the  babe 
as  well  as  the  old  man.^  The  ordinary  Egyptian  felt  as 
did  old  Chinsunse,  who  said  to  Livingstone:  "We  live 
"  only  a  few  days  here,  but  we  live  again  after  death. 
"  We  do  not  know  where,  or  in  what  condition,  or  with 
"  what  companions,  for  the  dead  never  return  to  tell  us. 
*'  Sometimes  the  dead  do  come  back,  and  appear  to  us  in 
"  dreams  ;  but  they  never  speak  nor  tell  us  where  they 
'*  have  gone,  nor  how  they  fare."^  In  spite  of  this, 
however,  the  Egyptian  did  not  devote  all  his  life  to  the 
pursuit  of  pleasure,  and  he  who  had  the  necessary  means 
prepared  an  "eternal  house"  for  himself,  so  that  when 
death  claimed  him,  he  might  have  a  "  secret  place " 
wherein  to  free  himself  from  his  material  body,  and  rise 
in  the  Spirit-body,  and  depart  to  the  Other  World  which, 
in  spite  of  all  the  assertions  of  his  priests,  must  ever  have 
been  a  place  of  the  deepest  mystery. 

The  modern  African  believes  that  more  than  half  the 
deaths  which  occur  are  caused  by  witchcraft,^  and  that 
usually  a  body  only  dies  because  someone  has  stolen  one 
of  its  souls.''  Among  many  tribes  death  is  always 
supposed  to  be  caused  by  witchcraft,  but  a  few  peoples 
are  ready  to  admit  that  some  deaths  are  due  to  the 
call   of   Njambi  {i.e.,  God,  or   Providence).'^     Here  and 

1  A.Z.,  1873,  P-  60. 

^  See  the  stele  in  the  British  Museum,  No.  1027. 
*  Livingstone,  The  Zambesi  and  Its  Tributaries,  p.  121. 
^  Miss    Kingsley   says    "  sixty   per   cent." —  West  African    Studies, 
p.  209. 

^  Frobenius,  ChildJwod  of  Man,  p.  155. 
'''  Nassau,  Fetichism,  pp.  117,  170. 


Doctrine  of  Last  Things  145 

there  a  people,  e.g.,  the  Wakamba,  believe  that  death 
from  natural  causes  is  quite  possible.  If  an  old  man  dies 
they  say,  "  he  was  due  to  die : "  it  is  fate  (ingue).^ 
Livingstone  in  his  definition  of  the  primitive  African  faith 
says  that  "  death  is  often  a  punishment  of  guilt,  such  as 
witchcraft.""  The  Bantu  believe  in  a  "  spirit  of  death," 
and  according  to  a  legend  of  Kintu,  the  founder  of  the 
Unyoro-Uganda  dynasty,  it  was  attached  to  this  king  in 
the  form  of  a  young  man,  owing  to  an  act  of  disobedience 
to  God  on  his  part.^  Among  them  death  is  in  no  way 
regarded  as  a  cessation  of  being.  They  have  no  idea  of 
the  resurrection  of  the  body,  for  that  is  buried,  but  the 
spirit,  the  man  himself,  lives  on.  Where  and  how  he 
lives  they  know  not.*  The  Baluba  of  South  Central 
Congoland  think  that  death  in  no  way  causes  a  separation 
of  soul  and  body  ;  it  is  a  stoppage  of  the  heart  produced 
by  :  (i)  A  fatal  accident,  or  (2)  the  power  of  a  sorcerer, 
or  (3)  the  spirit  of  a  deceased  relative.  Some  have  an 
idea  that  a  spirit  in  the  Other  World  complains  to 
Kabezya-Mpungu  that  it  is  lonely,  and  asks  that  So-and- 
so  who  is  living  on  earth  may  be  sent  to  him.  Kabezya- 
Mpungu  then  despatches  a  messenger  who  fastens  on  the 
person  whom  he  has  come  to  summon.  This  is  sickness, 
and  when  God  gives  the  signal  this  messenger  begins  to 
compress  the  heart,  and  continues  to  do  so  until  it  has 
ceased  to  beat.  That  is  why  they  say  of  a  sick  man  : 
"  Such  an  one  has  seized  him  "  ;  and  of  a  dead  man,  "  God 
"  has  visited  him,  the  All-Powerful  has  got  possession 
"of  him";  or  again,  "his  father  has  called  him,"  or, 
"his  mother  has  slain  him."^ 

Among  the  tribes  of  the  Lower  Niger  death  is  not 
only  accepted  and  looked  on  as  a  spiritual  causation,  but 
death  itself  is  personified,  as  with  the  Egyptians,^  and 
dealt  with  as  a  powerful  spirit,  who  gains  the  mastery  over 
the  life  of  the  human  ego  by  depriving  the  soul  of  the  body, 
i.e.,  ejecting  the  former,  so  that  dissolution  of  the  latter 

^  Decle,  Three  Years  in  Savage  Africa,  p.  491. 

2  The  Zambesi,  p.  521. 

^  Johnston,  Uganda,  p.  606. 

*  Bentley,  Pioneering  on  the  Congo,  Vol.  I,  p.  252. 

*  Johnston,  George  Gretifell,  Vol.  II,  p.  642. 

^  See  the  quotation  from  the  Stele  of  That-I-em-hetep,  p.  144. 


146     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

supervenes.  The  native  regards  death  as  a  relentless 
and  inexorable  demon  who,  although  omnivorous  and  a 
glutton  who  is  always  gorging  himself,  is  not  so  much  a 
devourer  of  souls  as  a  carrier  away  of  them.  With  this 
description  may  be  compared  the  passages  in  the  XVTIth 
Chapter  of  the  Book  of  the  Dead,  which  describe  : 
(i)  The  god  with  the  face  of  a  dog  and  the  eyebrows  of 
a  man,  who  feedeth  on  the  dead,  who  watcheth  at  the 
Bight  of  the  Lake  of  Fire,  who  devoureth  the  bodies  of 
the  dead,  and  swalloweth  hearts,  who  voideth  filth,  and 
remaineth  unseen.  The  name  of  this  being  is  "  Devourer 
for  millions  of  years."  (2)  The  great  god  who  carrieth 
away  the  soul,  who  eateth  hearts,  who  devoureth  offal, 
the  guardian  of  the  darkness,  the  dweller  in  the  Seker 
boat.  His  name  is  either  Suti,  or  Smam-ur,  the  Earth- 
soul.  The  latter  passage  suggests  that  the  ancient  and 
awful  god  Seker,  who  sat  enthroned  in  darkness  in  the 
bowels  of  the  desert  west  of  Memphis,  is  Death  himself. 
Though  the  native  believes  that  in  some  cases  death  is 
due  to  some  former  act  of  omission  or  commission  on  the 
part  of  the  deceased,  and  in  others  to  natural  decay,  e.g., 
senile  decay,  he  thinks  that  nearly  every  death  is,  in  the 
first  instance,  due  to  or  associated  with  witchcraft.^ 
When  a  person  falls  ill  among  the  Nandi  it  is  attributed  to 
the  anger  of  an  ancestor,  and  when  he  is  nearing  death  his 
male  relatives  say  :  "  The  soul  has  become  very  small." 
Mr.  Mollis^  records  a  Nandi  myth  to  the  effect  that  the 
early  dwellers  on  the  earth  were  threatened  by  a  dog 
with  death,  unless  they  gave  him  milk  from  their  gourd 
and  beer  through  their  straw.  "If  you  do  this,"  said  he, 
"  I  will  arrange  for  you  to  go  to  the  river  when  you  die, 
"  and  to  come  to  life  again  on  the  third  day."  The 
people  laughed  at  the  dog,  and  gave  him  some  milk  and 
beer  to  drink  off  a  stool.  The  dog  was  angry  at  not 
being  treated  like  a  human  being,  but  he  drank  the  milk 
and  beer,  and  as  he  went  away  he  said  :  "  All  people  will 
die,  and  the  moon  alone  will  return  to  life."  This  is 
why  the  dead  do  not  return,  and  why  the  moon  reappears 
after  three  days'  absence.^     Two  other  causes  of  death 

^  Leonard,  The  Tribes  of  the  Lower  Niger,  p.  171  ff. 
^  Hollis,  The  Nandi,  pp.  69,  70. 
3  Hollis,  The  Na?idi,  p.  98. 


Doctrine  of  Last  Things  147 

are  mentioned  by  Miss  Kingsley,  viz.,  some  action  on  the 
part  of  the  Bush-soul,  and  reincarnated  disease.  When 
a  man  falls  ill,  he  sometimes  thinks  that  his  illness  is  the 
result  of  anger  on  the  part  of  his  Bush-soul,  and  therefore 
causes  offerings  to  be  made  to  it  in  a  little  hut  in  the 
forest  built  on  the  last  place  in  which  it  was  seen. 
As  no  one  but  an  Ebumtup,  or  person  endowed  with  the 
gift  of  second  sight,  can  see  his  own  Bush-soul,  the 
services  of  a  witch-doctor  are  obtained,  and  attempts  are 
made  by  him  to  placate  the  Bush-soul.  If  these  are  not 
successful,  the  sick  man  dies.  Or,  the  Bush-soul  may 
through  some  rash  act  on  its  part  become  wounded  or 
killed,  and  then  its  owner  will  die.  A  reincarnated  soul 
may  have  suffered  from  some  disease  in  a  former  state  of 
existence  in  the  body,  and  this  having  been  reincarnated 
with  the  soul  causes  the  death  of  the  new  body.^ 

^   Travels  in  West  Africa,  pp.  459-461. 


CHAPTER    XX. 

Spirits  and  the  Spirit-world. 

The  Egyptians  believed  that  the  spirits  of  the  dead, 
whose  bodies  had  been  buried  with  the  proper  rites  and 
ceremonies,  went  ultimately  to  a  region  which  was   set 

apart   for  them  and  was  called  "Tuat,"  ^'^    ^  .      It 

follows  of  necessity  that  very  few  Egyptians  could 
afford  the  expense  incurred  in  embalming,  in  hewing  a 
tomb  in  the  rock,  and  in  purchasing  funerary  furniture 
and  offerings,  etc.,  therefore  the  bodies  of  a  very  large 
number  of  people  must  have  been  disposed  of  by  some 
means  or  other  each  year  without  "  burial,"  as  the 
high-class  Egyptian  understood  the  word.  Kings  and 
members  of  the  royal  family,  nobles,  and  officials  and 
priests  were,  no  doubt,  "  buried,"  but  the  working 
classes,  and  peasants  and  slaves,  must  have  been  thrust 
into  shallow  graves  in  the  sand  on  the  edge  of  the 
desert,  from  which  they  were  ultimately  dragged  by 
wild  beasts  and  devoured.  There  is  no  proof  that  the 
dead  were  wilfully  cast  forth  into  the  desert  to  be  eaten 
by  beasts,  as  the  Masai  cast  their  dead  into  the  bush  and 
invite  the  hyenas  to  come  and  eat  them,  but  it  is  quite 
clear  that  the  dead  must  have  been  got  rid  of  by  some  such 
means.  The  cultivable  land  of  Egypt  was  too  valuable  to 
be  devoted  to  them,  and  the  number  of  tombs  which 
remain  is  remarkably  small  when  we  consider  the  scores 
of  millions  of  human  beings  who  lived  in  Egypt  under 
thirty  dynasties  of  Pharaohs.  We  have  already  seen 
that  the  Kau  and  Body-souls  of  the  dead  perished 
when  the  supply  of  offerings  failed,  or  when  the  dead 
had  no  friends  to  recite  the  magical  formulae  which 
produced  offerings,  but  there  remained  the  immortal 
Spirit-souls  of  the  dead,  and  these  must  have  proceeded 
to  the  Land  of  Spirits  when  they  departed  from  their 
bodies.  Therefore  this  region  must  have  been  inhabited 
by  the  spirits  of  all  the  human  beings  who  had  ever  been 


spirits  and  the  Spirit-world  149 

born  in  Egypt,  and  their  number  must  have  been  millions. 
An  obscure  passage  in  the  Book  of  the  Dead^  mentions 
4,601,200,  or  4,301,200,  Spirit-souls  (Khu),^  but  whether 
these  represented  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  spirit-world  of 
Egypt  cannot  be  said.  In  the  Short  Version  of  the 
Chapter  "12  cubits  "  are  mentioned,  and  this  may  be  the 
height  of  the  spirits.  If  so,  spirits  must  have  been  of 
varying  heights,  for  the  spirits  who  reaped  the  wheat  and 
barley  in  the  Second  Division  of  the  Domain  of  Osiris^ 
were  nine  cubits  in  height,  the  wheat  and  barley  being 
five  cubits  high.  In  the  Fifth  Division  the  spirits  who 
lived  on  the  helpless  shadows  of  the  dead  had  thighs  (?) 
seven  cubits  long. 

As  the  Egyptians  believed  that  there  was  once  a  time 
when  death  did  not  exist,  there  must  have  been  a  time 
when  there  were  no  human  souls  in  the  Tuat,  if  it  then 
existed.  The  great  and  unknown  God  alone  had  being, 
for  the  gods  were  not  born  until  a  later  period.  Now, 
we  read  in  many  funerary  texts  of  the  "  Gods  of  the 
Tuat,"  so  we  must  assume  that  after  death  entered  the 
world,  and  souls  began  to  go  to  the  Tuat,  they  found 
there  these  gods,  who  had  been  created  by  the  unknown 
God.  Each  of  these  appears  to  have  had  a  separate 
entity  ;  their  relationship  with  the  unknown  God  is  not 
clear,  but  they  were  like  human  beings  and  souls,  inferior 
and  subordinate  to  Him.  As  time  went  on  these  gods 
became  more  and  more  independent,  and  the  unknown 
God  appears  to  have  allowed  them  to  do  as  they  pleased, 
and  in  the  end  they  became  the  arbiters  of  the  destinies 
of  the  souls  of  men.  The  cult  of  Osiris  in  no  way 
interfered  with  this  view  generally,  but  the  man  who 
wanted  his  soul  to  go  to  the  kingdom  of  Osiris  after 
death  was  called  upon  to  obey  during  his  lifetime  the 
commands  of  this  god,  and  not  to  worship  "  gods " 
who  were  of  no  account.  The  gods  of  the  Tuat 
possessed  many  of  the  qualities  and  attributes  of  men  ; 
when  pleased  they  were  good-tempered  and  benevolent, 
and  when  angry  they  gratified  their  feelings  of  revenge. 

^  Chapter  LXIV,  Long  Version,  1.  21  ;  Short  Version,  1.  7. 
3  See  Chapter  CXLIX,  Aat  II. 


150     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

They  could  be  placated  by  service  and  offerings,  and 
they  showed  their  pleasure  and  gratitude  by  doing  acts 
of  kindness  to  their  worshippers,  and  by  assisting  them 
when  in  trouble  and  difficulties.  Those  who  were  wise 
spared  no  pains  in  obtaining  their  help,  and  in  disarming 
their  opposition.  The  spirits  of  the  dead  were  regarded 
with  much  the  same  feelings  as  the  gods.  Their  power 
for  evil  was  believed  to  be  greater  in  the  Tuat  than 
upon  earth,  for  their  freedom  from  the  body  gave  them 
greater  facilities  for  doing  harm  to  men.  They  could, 
moreover,  move  about  unseen,  and  escape  from  invisible 
spirit-foes  was  well-nigh  impossible.  There  were  good 
spirits  as  well  as  bad,  but  the  Book  of  the  Dead 
practically  ignores  the  former,  and  its  magical  formulae 
were  directed  entirely  against  the  operations  of  evil 
spirits.  Though  naturally  of  a  gay  and  light-hearted 
disposition,  the  Egyptian  must  have  lived  in  a  perpetual 
state  of  fear  of  spirits  of  all  kinds,  spirits  of  calamity, 
disease,  and  sickness,  spirits  of  angry  gods  and  ancestors, 
and  above  all  the  spirit  of  Death.  His  imagination 
filled  the  world  with  spirits  whose  acts  seemed  to  him  to 
be  generally  malevolent,  and  his  magical  and  religious 
literature  and  his  amulets  testify  to  the  very  real  terror 
with  which  he  regarded  his  future  existence  in  the  world 
of  spirits.  Escape  from  such  spirits  was  impossible,  for 
they  could  not  die. 

The  views  of  modern  African  peoples  about  spirits 
and  their  world  throw  much  light  upon  the  denizens  of 
the  Egyptian  Tuat,  and  a  few  of  them  are  here  noted. 
Among  the  Nandi  the  Oiik,  i.e.,  devils,  or  spirits  of 
departed  kinsfolk,  cause  sickness  and  death,  and  when 
they  move  about  underground  earthquakes  take  place. 
They  appear  to  men  in  dreams.  They  may  be  propitiated 
by  offerings,  and  prayers  must  be  made  to  them.^  The 
people  of  the  Congo  believe  that  souls  can  act  as  demons, 
and  must  be  propitiated.  The  lesser  spirits,  at  any  rate, 
are  human  in  their  intelligence,  can  be  flattered,  pro- 
pitiated, deceived  ;  are  sometimes  kind  to  the  individuals 
or  clans  they  patronize,  or  who  adopt  them  as  protectors 
or   allies.^     Departed    souls   must   be    kept   in   a   good 

^  Hollis,  The  IVandi,  pp.  41,  69,  82,  100. 
2  Johnston,  George  Grenfell,  Vol.  II,  p.  636. 


spirits  and  the  Spirit-world  151 

humour,  and  must,  if  possible,  be  kept  at  a  distance  ; 
food  and  drink  must  be  given  to  them,  and  huts  built  for 
them.^  In  West  Africa  the  natives  mourn  the  loss  of 
the  bodies  of  their  dead,  whilst  at  the  same  time  they 
drive  away  their  spirits  with  yells  and  noises  of  every 
kind.  These  spirits  are  worshipped,  with  worship  of  a 
deprecatory  character,  but  their  continued  presence  is  not 
desired.^  The  Dinka  and  Bongo  tribes  know  no  spirits 
except  those  which  are  evil.^  The  evil  spirits  in  Ankole 
are  very  numerous,  and  they  cause  sicknesses.*  Some 
spirits  which  have  inhabited  human  bodies  are  supposed 
to  have  existed  before  birth  as  well  as  after  death.  It  is 
considered  possible  for  a  minor  evil  spirit  to  be  born  with 
a  man's  soul,  and  to  enter  a  man's  body  during  sleep. ^ 

The  Ibo  define  the  soul  as  the  fruit  of  the  body,  and 
the  spirit  as  the  living  or  vital  energy  of  a  person,  in 
other  words,  the  soul  whose  material  body  has  died  or 
perished.  They  make  no  difference  between  soul  and 
spirit.*'  In  Northern  Guinea  the  spirits  of  the  dead  are 
supposed  to  mingle  freely  with  the  living,  and  they 
convey  warnings  and  admonitions  to  human  beings  in 
dreams.'^  Messages  can  be  sent  to  spirits  by  dying 
people,^  and  Mr.  H.  Ward  actually  heard  a  message  being 
given  to  a  slave,  who  was  to  be  beheaded,  for  a  spirit  by 
a  man  who  said  :  "  And  tell  him  when  you  meet,  that  his 
biggest  war-canoe,  which  I  inherit,  is  rotten."^  In 
Dahomey  every  act  of  importance  was  reported  to  the 
king's  ancestor  by  the  spirit  of  a  man  who  was  killed  on 
purpose.  ^*^ 

The  Egyptians  speak  in  their  religious  texts  of 
Heart-souls,  Spirit-souls,  Kau,  or  Doubles,  Sahu,  or 
Spirit-bodies,  and  Sekhemu  as   if  they  formed  separate 

^  Frobenius,  Childhood  of  Man,  p.  158. 

2  Nassau,  Fetichistn,  p.  59. 

^  Frobenius,  Die  Heideft-JVeger,  pp.  343,  361. 

*  Johnston,  Uganda,  p.  631. 

^  Kingsley,   West  African   Studies,  p.  200  ;  Travels  in  West  Africa, 
p.  230. 

"  Leonard,  The  Lower  Niger,  p.  140. 

"^  Wilson,   Western  Africa,  p.  211. 

^  Ibid.,  pp.  220,  394. 

^  H.  Ward,  A  Voice  from  the  Congo,  p.  144. 

1"^  Burton,  A  Mission  to  Gelele,  Vol.  II,  p.  24  ;  Skertchley,  Dahomey 
as  It  is,  p.  339. 


152     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

orders  of  spirits,  and  we  find  that  modern  African 
peoples  also  arrange  the  spirits  in  different  groups.  In 
each  case  the  grouping  does  not  mean,  it  seems  to  me, 
that  the  nature  and  character  of  the  spirits  of  the  various 
groups  are  different,  but  only  that  their  occupations  are 
different.  Dr.  Nassau  classifies  the  spirits  of  West 
Africa  thus  : — 

The  first  class  is  known  by  the  name  of  "  Anina"  or 
"  Malina,"  and  consists  of  souls  or  spirits,  embodied  and 
disembodied  ;  they  take  a  great  interest  in  human  affairs, 
and  especially  in  those  of  the  families  of  which  they  are 
or  were  members. 

The  second  class  is  called  "  Abambo,"  which  may  be 
rendered  "ghosts."  Where  they  live  and  why  they 
appear  is  unknown.  They  are  never  asked  to  appear, 
and  are  rarely  worshipped,  and  their  coming  is  dreaded. 
They  are  the  spirits  of  dead  tribal  ancestors,  as  dis- 
tinguished from  the  spirits  of  strangers.  The  natives 
cannot  decide  whether  they  are  benevolent  or  malignant, 
or  whether  to  love  or  hate  them.  The  Abambo  are  the 
spirits  which  are  supposed  to  possess  men  ;  they  are  cast 
out  only  with  the  greatest  difficulty.  When  Abambo 
appear  to  human  beings  they  rarely  speak  to  them,  they 
only  terrify  them. 

The  third  class  is  the  "  Ombwiri,"  plural  "  Awiri." 
The  Awiri  resemble  the  fauns,  dryads,  and  forest  spirits, 
which  live  in  rocks,  trees,  etc.,  and  resent  the  trespass  of 
human  beings  on  their  land.  The  Ombwiri  is  regarded 
as  a  guardian  spirit,  and  each  man  has  his  own  ombwiri, 
for  which  he  provides  a  small  house  near  his  own.  The 
Awiri  are  the  only  spirits  which  have  no  priesthood  ; 
they  hold  intercourse  with  men  direct.  They  are  kindly 
disposed  towards  men,  but  religious  services,  which 
really  constitute  an  ancestral  worship,  must  be  performed 
in  their  honour. 

The  fourth  class  is  the  "  Sinkinda,"  and  consists 
chiefly  of  the  spirits  of  people  who  were  in  a  humble 
position  in  this  world,  and  were  distinguished  neither 
for  greatness  nor  goodness.  Besides  these,  the  class 
includes  spirits,  or  perhaps  demons,  whom  Njambi 
{i.e.,  God)  created,  but  to  whom  He  never  gave  bodily 
existence.       Almost    all    Sinkinda   are    evilly    disposed. 


spirits  and  the  Spirit-world  153 

One  or  more  of  them  can  enter  into  a  human  body,  but 
sickness  follows  their  coming  ;  they  are  never  visible 
to  man.  Sometimes  they  are  called  "  Ivavi,"  i.e., 
"  messengers,"  and  they  bring  tidings,  good  or  bad, 
as  the  case  may  be  ;  a  "  messenger  "  gives  his  informa- 
tion by  the  mouth  of  some  living  member  of  the  family, 
whose  body  he  is  occupying  temporarily.  With  such 
"  messengers  "     may     be     compared     the     messengers 

\/dV^'^^     J|  I   mentioned  in  the  Book  of  the  Dead. 

In  the  XXIXth  Chapter  the  deceased  calls  upon  the 
*'  messenger  of  every  god "  to  retreat,  and  he  says  : 
*'  Even  though  thou  hast  come  to  carry  off  my  living 
"  heart-spirit,  this  living  heart-spirit  of  mine  shall  not  be 
**  given  to  thee."  And  in  the  CXXVth  Chapter^  we 
read  of  the  "  messengers  "  which  utter  evil  accusations, 
and  make  calamities  to  happen. 

A  fifth  class  of  spirits,  the  "  Myondi,"  are  akin  to 
those  of  the  fourth  class,  but  appear  to  be  less  under  the 
control  of  the  witch-doctor  than  other  spirits.  They 
cause  sickness,  and  can  help  or  harm  men.  They  are 
worshipped  always  in  a  deprecatory  way.  They  some- 
times take  possession  of  human  bodies,  and  the  Sinkinda, 
Awiri,  and  Ilaga  (spirits  of  foreigners)  are  invoked  to 
effect  their  expulsion.- 

Authorities  differ  in  their  definitions  of  the  powers 
and  functions  of  the  various  classes  of  spirits,  which  are 
very  difficult  to  determine,  but  all  agree  that  some  spirits, 
even  those  of  the  same  class,  are  stronger  and  have 
greater  power  for  good  or  evil  than  others.  The 
powers  of  a  spirit  are  limited  :  it  cannot  do  everything. 
Usually  a  spirit  attends  to  a  particular  kind  of  work,  but 
it  is  thought  that,  on  occasions,  it  may  attempt  to  usurp 
the  functions  of  a  spirit  of  another  class.  Every  class 
of  spirits  can  be  made  helpers  of  man  provided  that  they 
are  entreated  with  humility,  and  made  friendly  by  means 

1  Part  III,  11.  16,  17. 

^  Miss  Kingsley  refers  to  another  class  of  spirits  which  resemble  the 
Lares  and  Penates  of  the  Romans,  and  belong  to  the  household,  and 
descend  by  inheritance  with  the  family.  In  their  honour  are  secretly 
kept  a  bundle  of  fingers,  or  other  bones,  nail-clippings,  eyes,  brains,  etc., 
accumulated  from  deceased  members  of  successive  generations. — 
Travels  in  West  Africa^  p.  444. 


154     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

of  offerings.^     The  existence  of  a  sixth  class  of  spirits 

is     considered     possible     both    by     Dr.     Nassau^    and 

Miss   Kingsley,^   viz.,    those  which    enter    the    body  of 

some    animal,    generally    the    leopard,    with    a    definite 

purpose   and    for    a    limited    time.       This    purpose    is 

generally  the  killing  of  some  enemy,  and  as  the  strength 

of  the  animal  is  directed  by  human  intelligence  and  will, 

the  spirit  is  enabled  to  carry  out  its  evil  design.      Many 

murders  are  committed  in   this  way,  as  in  the  cases  of 

the    German    wehr-wolf    and    the     French    loup-garou. 

Mr.    Bonham   Carter,   the  eminent    Legal   Secretary   at 

Khartum,  shows  that  this  belief  was  in  operation  in  the 

Sudan  in   1903.     One   Kwat  Wad  Awaibung  murdered 

his   neighbour  Ajak  Wad   Deng,   and,   having  pleaded 

guilty,  he  said  : — "  Ajak  owed  me  a  sheep  and  would  not 

'  pay  me.     He  said  he  would  show  me  some  of  his  work, 

'  and  next  day  my  son  was  eaten  by  a  crocodile,  which 

'  was,  of  course,  the  work  of  Kwat,  and  for  that  reason 

'  I   killed   him.     We   had  a  feud  for  years,    as    I    was 

*  a  more  successful   hippopotamus-hunter  than  he  was, 
'  and  for  that   reason  he  was  practising  witchery  over 

*  me  and  my  family."  The  explanation  of  the  murder 
is  that  Ajak  believed  that  Kwat  had  sent  his  soul  into 
the  crocodile,  which  made  the  animal  lie  in  wait  near  the 
river  bank  where  Ajak's  son  usually  bathed.  When  the 
youth  came  down  to  the  river  and  entered  the  water, 
the  crocodile  obeyed  its  natural  instinct,  and  dragged 
him  down  and  drowned  him  and  ate  him.  Several 
witnesses  supported  Ajak's  statement,  and  their  evidence 
proved  that  this  belief  was  shared  by  the  people 
generally.* 

The  Baluba  believe  in  the  existence  of  a  great 
number  of  evil  spirits  called  "  Bashangi  "or  "  Bakishi," 
who  are  probably  the  disembodied  souls  of  wicked 
sorcerers.  They  wander  about  at  night,  appearing 
sometimes  as  shooting  stars.  They  terrify  men  and 
scatter  death  among  the  villages  ;  their  sole  aim  is  to 
injure,    and    their    chief  happiness    is    to    make    people 

^  Nassau,  Fetichism,  p.  64  ff. 

2  Ibid.,  p.  70. 

^  Travels  in  West  Africa,  p.  445. 

^  Egypt  and  the  SMdn  (Report),  Egypt  No.  I,  1904,  p.  89. 


The  Place  of  Departed  Spirits  155 

miserable.^  A  very  large  number  of  tribes  in  Africa  believe 
firmly  in  the  existence  of  a  host  of  evil  spirits,  which 
they  generally  identify  with  the  souls  of  the  dead.  Some 
African  peoples,  e.g.,  those  of  Dahomey,  have  the 
curious  belief  that  the  same  spirit  can  be  in  more  than 
one  place  at  the  same  time.  Thus  Gezu's  spirit  was 
thought  to  be  on  his  war-stool  in  his  shed,  and  also  in 
his  own  tomb,  at  one  and  the  same  time.  A  spirit  will 
sometimes  remain  in  Dead-land,  and  also  come  back 
to  the  earth  in  the  body  of  a  new-born  infant  ;  all  the 
king's  children  were  but  the  transmigrated  spirits  of  the 
old  kings. ^ 

The  Place  of  Departed  Spirits. 

The  Egyptians  held  several  opinions  about  the 
places  to  which  spirits  departed  after  the  death  of  their 
bodies.  According  to  some  they  went  and  lived  in  the 
bodies  of  animals  and  birds,  others  thought  they  entered 
the  stars  and  so  lived  in  the  sky,  from  which  they  could 
visit  the  earth  from  time  to  time,  and  others  believed 
that  they  lived  in  the  Boat  of  the  Sun.  The  greater 
number,  however,  assumed  that  they  went  to  a  region 
called  Tuat,  which  was  thought  to  be  situated  on  the 
other  side  of  the  range  of  mountains  that  surrounded 
the  world.  On  the  far  side  of  the  Tuat  there  was 
a  similar  range  of  mountains,  and  so  we  may  say  that 
the  Tuat  had  the  form  of  a  long  valley,  very  much  like 
the  Nile  Valley  ;  it  ran  parallel  to  both  ranges  of 
mountains  and  between  them,  and  was  on  the  same 
plane  as  the  land  of  Egypt,  or  of  the  sky  which  was 
above  it.  In  the  range  of  mountains  which  enclosed 
Egypt  were  two  holes  ;  from  the  one  on  the  east  the 
sun  rose,  in  that  on  the  west  the  sun  set.  The  Tuat 
began  near  the  western  hole  and  ended  near  the  eastern 
hole  ;  thus  it  was  nearly  circular  in  form.  It  was  shut 
off  from  Egypt  by  mountains,  and  had  neither  sun,  nor 
moon,  nor  stars,  therefore  it  was  a  region  of  gloom  and 
darkness  and  a  place  of  fear  and  horror.  A  river  flowed 
through  the  Tuat  Valley,  just  as  the  Nile  flows  through 

^  Johnston,  George  Grenfell,  Vol.  II,  p.  636. 
2  Skertchley,  Dahomey  as  It  is,  p.  465. 


156     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

Egypt,  and  its  banks  were  inhabited  by  the  spirits  who 
had  Hved  in  the  body  in  the  various  nomes  of  Egypt. 
The  Tuat  Valley  was  divided  into  sections.  Thus  there 
were  the  Tuat  of  Thebes,  the  Tuat  of  Abydos,  the  Tuat 
of  Herakleopolis,  the  Tuat  of  Memphis,  and  the  Tuat 
of  Sai's  ;  then,  bending  eastwards,  there  were  the  Tuat 
of  Bubastis,  the  Tuat  of  Heliopolis,  the  Tuat  of  Kher- 
aha,  and  so  on.  Each  Tuat  contained  its  own  good  and 
evil  spirits,  who  might  be  well  disposed  towards  native 
souls,  but  who  were  almost  certain  to  be  hostile  to 
stranger-souls  that  came  from  other  parts  of  Egypt. 
Thus  the  Tuat  was  a  duplicate  of  Egypt,  and  the 
dwellers  in  it  were  as  various  as  the  living  inhabitants  of 
Egypt,  but  the  spirits  for  the  most  part  confined  their 
movements  to  their  own  section.  The  man  who  wished 
his  soul  after  death  to  have  the  power  of  moving  about 
from  one  end  of  the  Tuat  to  the  other  took  care  to  make 
offerings  to  all  the  gods  of  all  the  Divisions  of  the  Tuat 
during  his  lifetime,  for  such  acts  of  worship  were 
believed  to  secure  for  him  their  help  both  in  this  world 
and  in  the  next.  Each  Division  of  the  Tuat  contained 
a  town  which  was  the  seat  of  the  god  who  ruled  it ;  this 
town  was  the  equivalent  of  the  metropolis  of  the  nome 
on  earth. 

The  Egyptian  theologians  realized  at  a  very  early 
period  that  the  soul  of  a  man  would  have  great  difficulty 
in  making  its  way  through  the  Tuat,  therefore  they 
compiled  various  books  which  they  intended  to  form 
Guides  to  that  region  of  darkness  and  difficulty.  The 
oldest  of  these  may  be  called  the  Book  of  the  Two 
Ways,  and  copies^  of  it  are  found  on  the  coffins  of  the 
Middle  Empire.  According  to  this  a  man  might  go  to 
the  abode  of  the  blessed  by  two  ways,  by  land  or  by 
water,  but  once  having  set  out  on  one  route,  the  soul 
could  not  change  to  the  other  ;  for  the  two  ways  were 
separated  by  a  river  of  fire.  Another  Book,  called 
"  Am-Tuat,"^  describes  the  journey  of  Ra  through  the 
Tuat.  It  was  intended  to  illustrate  the  power  of  Ra 
over  the  kingdom  of  the  dead,  but  incidentally  it  gives 
a  considerable  amount  of  information  about  the  Tuat. 

^  See  Schack,  Zweiwegebuch^  Leipzig,  1903. 

2  See  my  Egyptian  Heaven  and  Hell,  Vol.  I,  London,  1905. 


The  Place  of  Departed  Spirits  157 

Ra,  or  rather  the  dead  body  of  Ra,  makes  the  journey- 
along  the  river  of  the  Tuat  in  a  boat,  wherein  is  a  crew 
of  gods  ;  each  Division  is  supposed  to  represent  one  of 
the  hours  of  the  night,  and  the  goddess  of  each  hour  in 
turn  acts  as  the  pilot.  In  the  first  hour  Ra,  or  his  flesh 
Af,  travels  through  the  first  Division,  a  distance  of 
1 20  dtru,  when  he  reaches  the  gods  of  the  Tuat.  The 
Second  and  Third  Divisions  are  each  309  (or  480)  diru 
in  length  and  120  dtru  in  breadth.  In  the  Third 
Division  the  king-dom  of  Osiris  is  situated,  and  when 
there  Af  is  near  Abydos.  The  Fourth  and  Fifth 
Divisions  reach  from  Abydos  to  Sakkarah,  and  include 
the  kingdom  of  Seker,  the  god  of  Death.  At  this  stage 
of  the  journey  Af  is  obliged  to  leave  his  boat,  for  the 
region  is  a  waterless  desert.  The  boat  takes  the  form 
of  a  serpent,  and  so  is  enabled  to  pass  through  the  sand. 
In  the  Sixth  Division  Af  again  uses  his  boat,  and  sails 
to  the  city  of  Osiris,  where  this  god  was  said  to  be 
buried.  In  the  Seventh  Division,  which  is  the  secret 
abode  of  Osiris,  the  boat  of  Af  is  stranded  because  the 
river  has  run  dry,  and  it  is  only  moved  along  by  means 
of  the  magical  words  of  I  sis  and  Semsu  (firstborn  gods  ?). 
The  failure  of  the  water  is  caused  by  the  serpent  Apep, 
who  has  drunk  it  up.  This  monster  is  called  "  Stinking 
Face,"  Neha-her,  and  is  450  cubits  long.  Af  does  not 
destroy  him,  but  casts  a  spell  on  him  and  then  passes 
him  by.  The  Eighth  Division  is  a  continuation  of  the 
Seventh,  and  contains  the  Secret  Circles  of  Ament ;  it 
was  situated  near  Busiris  in  the  Delta.  In  the  Ninth 
and  Tenth  Divisions  the  gods  from  the  boat  of  Af  assist 
in  preparing  the  boat  for  the  last  stage  of  the  journey. 
In  the  Tenth  Division  Af  finds  the  Beetle  into  which  he 
is  to  transform  himself,  and  in  the  Eleventh  he  sees  the 
pits  of  fire  in  which  the  bodies,  souls,  shadows,  and 
heads  of  the  foes  of  Osiris  are  being  burnt.  In  the 
Twelfth  Division  the  beetle  is  on  the  front  of  the  boat, 
and  when  the  boat  has  been  dragged  through  the  body 
of  a  huge  serpent  1,300  cubits  long,  entering  at  its  tail 
and  coming  out  from  its  mouth,  Af  is  found  to  have 
transformed  himself  into  the  beetle,  i.e.,  into  Khepera, 
the  morninof  sun.  In  the  vig-nette  to  this  Division  we 
see  that  the  dead  body  of  Ra  is  thrown  aside  in  the 

VOL.   II.  M 


158     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

Tuat,  and  that,  in  the  form  of  the  solar  disk,  Khepera 
enters  his  boat  in  the  sky,  and  begins  his  journey  across 
heaven.  As  Ra,  or  rather  Af,  passed  through  the  Tuat 
he  addressed  words  to  all  the  beings  who  were  on  the 
banks  of  the  river  in  each  division,  and  provided  them 
with  food  and  drink.  As  he  journeyed  along  he  seems 
to  have  brought  light  with  him,  and  the  gods  rejoiced  in 
the  temporary  lightening  of  their  darkness  ;  as  he  passed 
on  gloom  once  more  settled  down  upon  them,  and  the 
blackness  of  night  again  covered  them.  Fortunate 
indeed  were  the  souls  who  were  able  to  secure  a  passage 
in  the  Boat  of  Af,  for  then  they  would  have  no  reason 
to  fear  the  fiends  on  the  river  bank  and  the  pits  of  fire. 
The  Book  Am-Tuat  was  as  useful  to  the  living  as  to  the 
dead,  and  every  picture  in  it  was  regarded  as  the  symbol 
of  a  magic  power  which  was  able  to  protect  the  body  in 
this  world  and  the  soul  in  the  next. 

A  third  work  also  was  compiled  by  the  priests  as 
a  "Guide  "  to  the  Tuat,  viz.,  the  Book  of  Gates.  In  it 
the  Tuat  is  divided  into  twelve  Divisions,  each  of  which 
is  guarded  by  a  huge  fortified  Gate,  and  each  Gate  is 
kept  by  warlike  gods  and  fiery  serpents.  The  kingdom 
■of  Osiris  occupies  a  prominent  place  in  this  work,  and 
we  have  in  it  representations  of  the  Hall  of  Judgment 
■of  this  god,  and  the  occupation  of  the  blessed,  and  the 
punishment  of  the  wicked.  From  first  to  last  the  Book 
•of  Gates^  represents  the  Tuat  as  conceived  by  the 
indigenous  Egyptians,  and  the  ideas  and  beliefs 
expressed  therein  agree  with  those  of 
the  Book  of  the  Dead.  These  ideas 
and  beliefs  are  purely  African,  and 
they  suggest  that  the  Egyptian  Tuat 
was  very  much  what  the  "  God's 
Town  "  or  "  Njambi's  Town  "  is  to  the 
African  of  to-day.  They  did  not,  I 
believe,    o-row    up    in    Eo-ypt,   but    in 

The  deceased  setting  out      r^  iiT7-,Ar-  T^ir 

for  the  Other  Wovid.      Central  or  West  Africa.     1  he  frequent 

allusions    to     "  making     a    way,"    or 

having  a  way  made  or  opened  for  the  deceased,  which 

are  found  in  the   Book  of  the  Dead,  show  that  to  reach 

^  See  my  Book  of  Gates  {Egyptian   Heaven  and  Hell,  Vol.   W), 
London,  1905. 


The  Place  of  Departed  Spirits 


159 


The  deceased  building  himself  a  house  in 
the  Other  World. 


the  Tuat  the  soul  was  obliged  to  travel  through  a  forest, 

in  which   it  was  easy  to  lose  the    path.      The   Yoruba 

**babalawo"  (priest)  to-day  addresses  the  dead,   saying: 

"  May  the   road   be  open 

*'  to  you    .    .    .    May  you 

**  find  the  road  good  when 

"  you  go  in  peace.  "^     The 

road  to  the  Tuat  was  so 

difficult  to  find,  that  unless 

the    soul    was    conducted 

thither   by  the    Wolf-god 

Ap-uat,  the  probability  of 

its  losing  its  way  was  very 

great.    At  times  the  mantis 

acted  as  guide,  and   in  the   LXXVIth  Chapter  of   the 

Book  of  the  Dead  the  deceased  says  :  "  I  have  come  into 

"  the  House  of  the  king ;  the  mantis"^  led  me  hither  .   .  . 

"  I  have  made  my  way,  and  I  have  travelled  thereon." 

The  Domain  of  the  Tuat  was,  according  to  one 
opinion,  divided  into  seven  parts,  each  of  which  was 
guarded  by  a  Gate  ;  each  Gate  had  its  keeper,  its 
watchman,  and  its  herald.  According  to  another  view 
the  Gates  were  ten  in  number,  and  some  papyri 
enumerate  fourteen  or  fifteen  and  some  twenty-one. 
To  pass  through  them  it  was  necessary  for  the  souls  of 
the  dead  to  know  the  names  of  the  Gates  and  the  names 
of  the  beings  who  guarded  them,  in  fact,  to  possess  the 
knowledge  of  a  series  of  important  words  of  power. 
Yet  another  opinion  was  that  the  Kingdom  of  the  Tuat 

^  Ellis,   Yoruba-speaki7ig  Peoples,  p.  156. 

2  Commonly  known  as  the  "  praying  mantis,"  to  which  supernatural 
powers  have  been  attributed  by  Africans,  Arabs,  and  some  European 
peoples.      The  Arabs  say  that  it  prays  with  its  head  turned  towards 

Mekkah  !      "  There   were   parrots and   those   most 

"entertaining  stick-like  little  insects  known  as 'praying  mantis,'  that 
"  hold  up  two  long  front  legs  in  a  supplicating  and  prayerful  attitude  if 
"one  attempts  to  touch  them." — L.  Gerard,  Hyena  of  Kallu,  p.  134. 
"  In  the  south  of  the  Peninsula  (Yucatan)  you  find  that  curious  insect 
"  the  praying  mantis,  so-called  in  allusion  to  the  attitude  of  its  forelegs, 
"  which  are  held  as  are  hands  in  prayer.  These  creatures  wage 
"  remorseless  war  on  one  another  and  fight  until  the  stronger  literally 
"  pulls  its  foe's  head  off." — C.  Arnold  and  F.  J.  T.  Frost,  The  American 
^SyP^i  P-  377-  For  ^n  excellent  drawing  of  the  mantis  see  Johnston, 
Uganda,  Vol.  I,  412  ;  and  for  a  description  of  the  species  see  Johnston, 
George  Grenfell,  Vol.  II,  p.  938. 

M    2 


i6o     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

was  divided  into  fourteen  Aats  (Domains),  of  which  only- 
one  was  devoted  to  Osiris.     One  Aat  was  specially  set 
apart  for  the  gods  and  another  for  the  Spirits  ;  a  third 
was  a  region  of  fire,  a  fourth  contained  roaring  torrents 
of  water,  a  fifth  was  the  home  of  the  Nile,  a  sixth  was 
the   home   of  the    Hippopotamus-goddess,   and    so    on. 
The  Domain  of  Osiris  was  only  one  among  many,  but 
to  the  Egyptian  it  was  the  most  important  of  them  all. 
In    it   the   god   lived   surrounded   by  his  ministers  and 
followers    like   an   African   king  on   earth  ;    the    former 
directed   the   work  of  the  servants  of  the  god,  and  the 
latter  performed  the  duties  which  were  assigned  to  them 
in  the  fields  wherein  grew  the  Maat  wheat,  or  the  "  staff 
of  life."     On   this  wheat   Osiris  and  his  followers  lived. 
It  was  a  form  of  Osiris  himself,  and  those   who  ate  it 
and  lived  upon  it  nourished  themselves  upon  their  god. 
The  ministers  of  Osiris  formed  the  aristocracy  of  Sekhet- 
Aaru,  and   their  occupations  were  the  same  as  those  of 
an  aristocracy   on  earth.      The    personal  attendants    of 
Osiris,  and  his  servants,  and  his  field  labourers,  lived  in 
much  the  same  way  as  they  lived  upon  earth.     Groups 
of  souls  belonging  to  the  same  family  lived    together, 
and  the  friendships  of  earth  were  continued  in  the  Tuat. 
The  souls  of  husbands  and  wives  were  reunited.     There 
parents  found  their  children  again  and  rejoiced  in  their 
love,     and     faithful     household     servants     and     slaves 
ministered  to  the  souls  of  their  masters  and  mistresses 
in  the  Tuat  as  they  had  ministered  to  them  upon  earth. 
Many  passages  in  the  texts  refer  to  the  sexual  union  of 
souls,  but  there   is   no   mention  of  the  beo-ettino-  of  off- 
spring.     The  population  of  the  Tuat  was  recruited  from 
the   souls  who  left   this   earth  day  by  day.     The  duties 
which   souls  performed  for  Osiris  in  nowise    interfered 
with  the  interest  which  they  took  in  their  kinsfolk  who 
lived  on  the  earth,  and   they  were  able  to  watch  their 
affairs  and,  when  necessary,  to  afford  them  protection. 
This  idea  is  well  expressed  in  the  following  extract  from 
a  text  of  the  XVIIIth  dynasty  : — 

"  Thou  makest  a  way  through  the  mountains  of  Kher- 
neter.^ 

"  Thou  lookest  upon  thy  house  of  the  living, 
1  The  Other  World. 


The  Place  of  Departed  Spirits  i6i 

"  Hearing  the  sound  of  singing  and  music  in  thy 
hall  on  this  earth. 

"  Thou  workest  protection  for  thy  children  for  ever 
and  ever."^ 

The  connection  between  the  souls  of  the  living  and 
the  dead  was  very  close,  and  the  belief  in  it  permeated 
every  class  in  Egypt.  If  the  Egyptians  thought,  like 
the  modern  African,  that  some  men  contained  souls 
which  had  been  twice  born,  they  would  feel  that  they 
had  in  their  midst  beings  from  the  Other  World,  and 
the  influence  of  such  in  the  affairs  of  daily  life  must  have 
been  very  great.  Be  this  as  it  may,  it  is  certain  that 
the  worship  of  ancestral  and  other  spirits  was  always 
one  of  the  most  important  factors  in  their  religion,  and 
that  the  belief  in  the  Tuat  and  its  spirit-dwellers  was  a 
fundamental  feature  of  their  spiritual  constitution.  The 
"  gods,"  e.g.y  Ra,  Amen,  Ptah,  Khnemu,  etc.,  were 
beings  to  revere  and  propitiate  when  necessary,  but  none 
of  them  ever  really  occupied  in  their  minds  the  position 
of  Osiris,  King  and  Judge  of  the  dead.  The  priests  of 
Amen  attempted  to  force  their  dogma  of  the  sovereignty 
of  their  god  over  the  dead  into  the  minds  of  the  people, 
but  they  failed,  and  the  cult  of  Osiris  flourished 
centuries  after  they  had  passed  away.  The  Tuat  was  an 
indigenous  African  conception,  and  all  its  features  and 
characteristics  were  African,  and  Osiris  its  overlord  ruled 
after  the  manner  of  an  African  king. 

Under  the  IVth  dynasty  every  man  in  Egypt 
belonged  to  the  king,  every  yard  of  ground  was  the 
king's ;  the  king  was  Egypt,  and  Per-aa  (Pharaoh), 
the  "  Great  House,"  was  the  house  in  which  all  men 
lived.  The  king  disposed  of  men's  lives  as  he  pleased, 
and  their  bodies  were  only  buried  by  his  favour.  The 
absolutism    of  the    king  of  Egypt  at  that  time  is  well 


"i^^- 


Urkunden,  IV,  1064. 


1 62     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

illustrated  by  the  views  about  kings  and  chiefs  which 
were  current  in  Africa  not  many  years  ago.  Among 
the  Manyema  a  subject  shows  his  submission  to  a  chief 
by  rubbing  dust  on  his  shoulders.^  Baker  says  that 
there  was  never  a  more  supreme  despot  than  Kamrasi. 
Not  only  the  property,  but  the  families  of  his  subjects 
were  at  his  disposal.  He  boasted  that  "all  belonged  to 
him."^  Speke  saw  the  subjects  of  Mtesa  throw  them- 
selves flat  upon  their  bellies  before  him  and  cover  their 
faces  with  earth  ;^  the  same  writer  says  that  in  Uganda 
every  man  adores  the  king  as  a  deity.*  "  Uganda  is 
"  personified  by  Mtesa,  and  no  one  can  say  he  has  seen 
"  Uganda  until  he  has  been  presented  to  the  king."^ 
To  the  king  all  territorial  chiefs  owe  allegiance  as  over- 
lord.^ Among  the  Barotse  the  people  kneel  before  the 
king,  raise  their  hands  high  in  the  air,  and  cry  out 
"  Great  king."  Chiefs  kneel  down  and  pour  water  or 
sand  into  their  hands,  and  spread  it  over  the  king's 
arms.  Then  they  strike  their  heads  on  the  ground, 
and  clapping  their  palms  together  sing  his  praises. 
Personal  freedom  and  personal  property  are  alike  non- 
existent. All  the  people  are  the  slaves  of  the  king.''' 
In  Shoa  the  king-  is  absolute  lord  and  master  of  the 
land,  and  of  the  bodies  and  lives  and  possessions  of  all 
his  people.^  The  Basango  regard  their  chief  as  a  god, 
and  fear  to  say  anything  wrong  lest  he  should  hear 
them.  They  fear  both  before  him  and  when  out  of 
sight. ^  In  Dahomey  the  men  touch  the  ground  with 
their  heads  and  lips  before  the  king.  When  a  man 
appears  before  the  king  he  must  cover  his  head  and  the 
upper  part  of  his  body  with  dust,  as  much  as  to  say, 
"  I  am  nothing  but  dirt  before  thee."^°  And  every  man 
belongs  to  the  kincr.^^ 

^  Cunningham,  Uganda,  p.  324. 

"  Albert  N[va?iza,  p.  408. 

^  /ourna/  (Dent's  Reprint),  p.  238  ;  and  see  p.  267. 

"*  /hW.,  p.  245. 

'i  M'd.,  p.  255. 

''  A.  R.  Tucker,  Eightee7i  Years  in  Uganda,  Vol.  I,  p.  86. 

"^  Decle,  Three  Years,  p.  72. 

^  Krapf,  Travels,  p.  35. 

^  Livingstone,  Last  Journals,  Vol.  II,  p.  77. 
^^  Burton,  A  Mission  to  Gelele,  Vol.  II,  p.  341. 
^^  Skertchley,  Daho7?iey  as  It  is,  p.  487. 


The  Place  of  Departed  Spirits  163 

And  thus  it  was  with  Osiris,  Overlord  of  the  Tuat. 
Every  soul  in  his  kingdom  belonged  to  him  absolutely, 
and  drew  its  means  of  support  from  him.  In  the  Book 
Am-Tuat  we  see  the  trod  seated  on  his  throne 
watching  the  slaughter  of  those  who  have  rebelled 
against  him  ;  their  limbs  are  fettered,  and  then  they  are 
dragged  into  the  presence  of  the  god  and  their  heads 
cut  off.  Treason  to  the  mind  of  the  African  king  is  the 
gravest  of  all  offences,  and  is  always  punished  by  death, 
which  is  usually  accompanied  by  tortures,  and  thus  was 
treason  punished  in  the  Tuat.  The  headsman  of  Osiris 
and  his  assistants  in  the  Tuat  were  as  busily  occupied  as 
are  the  executioners  in  the  service  of  African  kings  at 
the  present  day. 

With  the  brief  description  of  the  Tuat  and  of  the  life 
led  by  souls  in  it  given  in  the  preceding  paragraphs  we 
may  compare  the  accounts  given  by  travellers  of  modern 
African  ideas  about  the  Spirit-world.  The  Bahima 
believe  that  the  spirits  of  the  dead  go  to  Mitoma,  and  to 
arrive  there  they  have  to  enter  the  great  Ankole  forest, 
and  pass  under  German  East  Africa.  The  whiz  and 
hum  of  passing  spirits^  are  frequently  heard  as  they  enter 
the  forest  on  their  way  to  Mitoma.  Good  and  bad  go 
there,  but  no  slaves  are  admitted,  for  there  is  no  work  to 
do  there.  There  are  no  cows  there,  and  no  clothing  is 
needed  ;  in  fact,  the  beings  there  have  no  wants.  The 
spirits  of  white  men  cannot  enter  Mitoma.-  The 
Egyptians  were  not  so  exclusive,  for  their  Tuat  contained 
the  souls  of  the  Aamu,  i.e.,  the  dwellers  in  the  Eastern 
Desert,  the  Libyans  (Themehu)  and  the  Negroes 
(Nehesu).^  According  to  Dr.  Nassau  the  Spirit-world 
is  all  around  us,  and  does  not  differ  much  in  its  wants 
and  characteristics  from  this  earthly  life,  except  that  it 
is  free  from  some  of  the  limitations  of  material  bodies. 
Spirits  require  food,  but  only  its  essence.  They  have 
passions  good  and  bad.  They  have  wives,  but  there  is 
no    procreation  by   spirits    in    the   Other  World.      The 

^  Among  the  Akikuyu  they  say  :  "  You  can  hear  the  spirits  ;  they 
come  together  from  different  places,  and  dance  in  the  wilds  and  make 
a  noise.  Spirits  make  a  whirring  sound,  they  do  not  say  words." — 
Routledge,   With  a  Prehistoric  People.,  p.  240. 

2  Cunningham,  Uganda,  p.  23. 

^  Budge,  Book  of  Gates,  pp.  1 51-153. 


164     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

natives  having  no  system  of  rewards  or  punishments 
believe  not  in  heaven  or  hell.  All  the  dead  go  to 
Njambi's  Town,  and  live  there  together,  the  good  with 
the  bad,  as  they  lived  together  on  earth.  The  hell 
which  some  speak  of  is  not  a  native  conception,  but  is 
probably  the  result  of  the  teaching  of  Portuguese  Roman 
Catholic  missionaries  three  hundred  years  ago.  Departed 
spirits  (Musimo)  never  die,  and  they  are  to  be  feared 
and  driven  away  by  noise. ^  The  Akikuyu  believe  that 
some  spirits  pass  into  animals,  that  others  wander  about, 
and  that  some  go  to  the  Land  of  the  Dead,  Miiriniya 
Mikongoi.  This  land  is  regarded  as  the  residence  of 
the  dead  of  bygone  generations,  and  is  a  place  from 
which  spirits  cannot  emerge,  and  is  dark.  They  have 
no  god  of  evil,  but  there  is  a  dwelling-place  where  live 
a  vast  number  of  bad  spirits,  men,  women,  and  children. 
These  possess  many  cattle,  sheep,  and  goats.  It  is 
terribly  cold  there,  and  its  inhabitants  have  no  clothes 
except  a  scrap  of  skin,  the  size  of  the  palm  of  the  hand, 
which  they  place  over  their  faces  when  they  sleep.  To 
approach  a  fire  is  for  them  an  absolute  impossibility.^ 

The  Spirit-world  of  the  Tshi-speaking  peoples  is 
called  "  Srahmanadzi."  It  resembles  this  world,  and 
like  the  Egyptian  Tuat  has  towns,  villages,  forests, 
mountains,  rivers,  etc.  It  is  beneath  the  earth,  and  is 
less  bright  than  the  world  of  the  living.  A  proverb 
says  :  "A  corner  in  the  world  is  better  than  the  whole 
of  Srahmanadzi."  When  the  sun  sets  in  this  world  it 
rises  in  Srahmanadzi.  There  the  old  become  young, 
a  young  man  becomes  a  boy,  and  a  boy  a  baby.  They 
grow  and  become  old,  but  age  brings  no  weakness  or 
wasting  of  the  body.  When  they  reach  the  prime  of 
life  they  remain  in  that  condition,  and  never  change. 
A  chief  in  this  world  is  a  chief  there,  and  a  slave  a  slave. 
Srahmanadzi  is  a  duplicate  of  this  world,  and  life  there 
is  only  a  continuation  of  the  life  here.  It  is  this  belief 
which  is  at  the  bottom  of  the  custom  of  killing  wives 
and  slaves  on  the  death  of  a  king  or  chief,  so  that  their 
souls  may  depart  to  the  Spirit-world  and  minister  to  his 
wants  there.     This  custom  is  not  the  result  of  a  blood- 

^  Nassau,  Fetichism  in  Wesi  Africa,  pp.  56,  59,  62. 
2  Routledge,  IVtth  a  Prehistoric  People,  p.  243. 


The  Place  of  Departed  Spirits  165 

thirsty  disposition,  but  arises  from  feeHngs  of  affection, 
respect,  and  awe  for  the  dead,  and  the  desire  that  the 
departed  may  suffer  no  inconvenience  or  lack  comfort  in 
his  new  abode.^  The  entrance  to  the  Tshi  Other 
World  IS  "just  east  of  the  middle  Volta,  and  the  way 
down  is  difficult  to  follow."^  The  souls  who  arrive  there 
do  not  cease  to  take  an  interest  in  mundane  affairs,  for 
they  not  only  have  local  palavers,  but  try  palavers  left 
over  from  their  earthly  existence.  And  when  there  is 
an  outbreak  of  sickness  in  a  Fanti  town  or  village,  and 
several  inhabitants  die  off,  the  opinion  is  often  held  that 
there  is  a  big  palaver  going  on  down  in  Srahmanadzi, 
and  that  the  spirits  are  sending  upon  earth  for  witnesses, 
subpoenaing  them  as  it  were.^ 

The  Other  World  of  the  I  bo  is  much  the  same 
as  this,  but  it  is  full  of  gloom,  for  there  is  no  day  there. 
The  earth  is  similar,  and  there  are  in  it  forests,  hills, 
valleys,  rivers,  and  roads  leading  from  one  town  to 
another,  and  houses  and  farms.  Roads  lead  from  this 
world  to  it,  and  on  these  souls  travel  to  their  final  home. 
The  land  of  the  dead  has  no  connection  with  the  land 
which  swallows  up  the  sun,  for  it  is  dark,  whilst  the 
place  where  the  sun  is  is  always  light.  The  king,  the 
rich  man,  the  poor  man,  the  working  man,  and  the 
farmer  will  all  be  as  they  are  here.  Certain  places  are 
set  apart  for  the  spirits  of  murderers,  suicides,  and  men 
of  violence.  Whether  good  or  bad  here,  the  man  who 
is  properly  buried  will  go  to  the  land  of  spirits.  Some 
souls  are  good  and  are  well-doing,  but  those  who  belong 
to  criminals  and  outcasts  are  reg"arded  as  demons.  The 
head  of  a  house  here  will  there  have  authority  over  the 
fate  of  his  own  household,  and  it  is  necessary  to  be  on 
good  terms  with  him  ;  this  may  be  secured  by  gifts, 
offerinors,  and  sacrifices  made  to  his  soul.  Neorlio-ence  in 
respect  of  such  a  soul  will  beget  neglect  on  its  part,  and 
may  even  render  it  hostile  to  the  interests  of  its  kinsfolk 
on  earth.*  The  souls  in  the  Other  World  not  only 
converse  with  each  other,  but  they  have  assemblies  and 

^  Ellis,  The  Tshi-speaking  Peoples,  p.  157  f. 

2  Kingsley,  Travels  in  West  Africa,  p.  488. 

^  Ibid.,  p.  519. 

■*  Leonard,  The  Lower  Niger,  pp.  185-189. 


i66'    Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

palavers  in  order  to  discuss  the  more  pubhc  affairs  of  the 
community,  arguing,  wrangling,  and  even  quarrelling,  as 
they  did  in  this  world.  Unlike  humanity,  however,  they 
keep  their  own  counsel,  and  their  quarrels  to  themselves. 
As  they  neither  speak  of  their  affairs  to  human  beings 
nor  give  them  counsel,  they  are  inquisitors  pure  and 
simple.  Thus,  the  ancestor  becomes  the  great  spirit 
inquisitor  of  his  family,  who  can  and  does  inflict  injury 
and  evil  upon  it  ;  this  belief  is  the  root  of  the  whole  idea 
of  moral  punishment.^ 

According  to  the  Yorubas  the  spirits  of  all  the  dead 
go  to  Orun,  the  heavens.  It  is  divided  into  two  parts  ; 
in  one,  the  heaven  of  peace  and  happiness,  live  the  souls 
of  the  blessed,  and  in  the  other,  which  is  called  the 
"  world  of  potsherds,"  live  the  spirits  of  the  wicked. ^ 
The  Bantu  believe  that  the  spirits  of  the  dead  live  in  a 
dark  forest,  which  is  commonly  spoken  of  as  the 
"  forest"  or  "  the  land  of  the  dead."^  In  Dahomey  the 
"  nidon  "  or  spirit  goes  to  "  Kutomen  "  or  "  Dead-land," 
where  there  is  neither  reward  nor  punishment.  The 
king  here  is  a  king  there,  and  every  soul  has  the  social 
status  which  its  body  had  on  earth.  Kutomen  is,  in 
fact,  a  "  Swedenborgian  reproduction  of  this  world,  and 
"it  is  placed  under  the  earth.  The  departed  often 
"  returns  to  earth  in  the  body  of  a  child,  and  yet  remains 
"  in  Dead-land — an  idea  which  some  travellers  have 
"  confounded  with  metempsychosis."*  The  priests  say 
that  life  in  the  Other  World  is  much  the  same  as  in 
this,  and  that  there  are  there  wars,  palavers,  feasts, 
dances,  etc.,  as  here.  The  clothes  in  which  a  man  is 
buried  accompany  him  to  Kutomen.^  The  oldest  idea 
in  Central  Congo-land  is  that  the  spirits  of  the  dead  live 
in  a  dark  forest.  Until  recendy  the  Congo  tribes  on  the 
coast  believed  that  their  dead  went  to  a  world  at  the 
bottom  of  the  sea,  and  there  spent  their  time  as  slaves 
to  the  white  man,  making  cloth  and  trade  goods. 

The  Bayanzi   think  that  the  souls  of  the   dead  go  to 

^  Ibid.,  p.  190. 

2  Dennett,  At  the  Back  of  the  Black  Mali's  Mi?td,  p.  268. 

^  Bentley,  Pioneering  on  the  Cofigo,  Vol.  I,  p.  252. 

^  Burton,  Mission  to  Gelele,  Vol.  II,  p.  158. 

^  Skertchley,  Dahomey  as  It  is,  p.  465. 


The  Place  of  Departed  Spirits  167 

the  sky.^  Some  ancient  Egyptians  also  held  this  view. 
They  thought  that  the  sky  was  the  floor  of  heaven,  and 
that  it  rested  on  two  mountains,  Bakha  and  Manu,  which 
are  the  mountains  of  Sunrise  and  Sunset  respectively. 
Another  view  was  that  it  rested  on  four  pillars,  which 
formed  the  four  cardinal  points  and  were  held  in  position 
by  the  four  Sons  of  Horus.  In  the  former  case  souls 
made  their  way  to  one  or  other  of  the  mountains,  and 
climbed  to  the  top,  and  so  stepped  on  to  the  crystal  sky, 
and  then  joined  the  souls  who  were  already  there.  In 
the  latter  case  the  Egyptians  thought  that  souls  could 
only  reach  the  sky  by  means  of  a  ladder.  There  is  a 
legend"  to  the  effect  that  Osiris  only  succeeded  in  getting 
into  the  sky  by  means  of  a  ladder  which  was  provided 
by  Ra.  Osiris  was  assisted  to  mount  it  by  Ra  and 
Horus,  or  Set  and  Horus,  each  of  whom  pushed  him  up 
with  one  finger.  In  the  tombs  of  the  Ancient  and 
Middle  Empires  models  of  ladders  have  been  found, 
and  it  was  believed  that  when  deceased  persons  had 
pronounced  over  them  the  appropriate  words  of  power, 
these  models  increased  in  length  and  strength,  and 
became  actual  ladders,  and  reared  themselves  up  so  that 
they  might  mount  them,  and  so  ascend  at  will  from  their 
graves  to  heaven.  The  ladder  also  appears  in  the  Book 
of  the  Dead,  and  the  deceased  says  :  "I  set  up  a  ladder 
among  the  gods,"^  and  the  "  Light-god  hath  made  me 
to  be  vigorous  by  the  two  sides  of  the  ladder.""*  Else- 
where it  is  said  :  "  He  shall  come  forth  upon  your  ladder 
"  which  Ra  hath  made  for  him,  and  Horus  and  Set 
"  shall  grasp  him  firmly  by  the  hand."^  Finally,  when 
men  no  longer  placed  models  of  ladders  in  tombs,  the 
priests  provided  for  the  necessity  of  the  dead  by  painting 
a  ladder  on  papyri  containing  copies  of  the  Book  of  the 
Dead.^  In  connection  with  this  belief  in  the  ladder  as 
a  means  of  communication  between  heaven  and  earth, 
it  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  Fernando  Po  people 
think  that  at  one  time  a  ladder,  "like   the  one  you  get 

^  Johnston,  George  Grenfell,  Vol.  II,  p.  643. 

-  Unas  text,  11.  192,  579,  and  Pepi  text,  11.  200,  422,  and  471. 

3  Chapter  CXLIX.. 

*  Chapter  XCVIII. 

5  Chapter  CLIII. 

**  Papyrus  of  Ant,  2nd  edit.,  Plate  22. 


1 68     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

palm-nuts  with,  only  long,  long,"  reached  from  earth  to 
heaven,  so  that  the  gods  could  come  down  and  attend 
personally  to  mundane  affairs.  One  day  a  crippled  boy 
began  to  ascend  it,  and  when  he  was  a  long  way  up  his 
mother  saw  him,  and  started  in  pursuit.  The  gods, 
being  horrified  at  the  idea  of  the  invasion  of  heaven  by 
boys  and  women,  threw  down  the  ladder,  and  have  since 
left  humanity  severely  alone. ^  It  is  possible  that  the 
idea  of  a  ladder  reaching  from  earth  to  heaven  may  have 
drifted  across  Africa  from  the  Christians  in  Abyssinia, 
but  it  is  hardly  likely,  and  it  is  probable  that  it  forms  a 
part  of  the  tradition  current  all  over  West  Africa  that 
there  was  once  a  time  when  a  direct  means  of  communi- 
cation between  gods  and  men  existed  upon  earth. 

1  Kingsley,  Travels  in  West  Africa,  p.  507. 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

Magic  (Witchcraft),  White  and  Black. 

The  Egyptians,  like  the  modern  Africans,  believed  that 
the  government  of  this  world  was,  practically  speaking, 
in  the  hands  of  a  considerable  number  of  "gods"  and 
spirits,  and  that,  in  order  to  have  success  and  happiness 
here  and  hereafter,  it  was  necessary  to  obtain  their  good- 
will and  help.  The  performance  of  the  duties  and 
ceremonies  connected  with  the  proper  worship  of 
ancestral  spirits  was  performed  by  a  member  of  each 
family,  who  in   dynastic  times  was  called   the   "  servant 

of  the  ka,"  y  \_\,  and  the  direction  of  the  worship  due 

to   the   local   god    was    committed    to    the  care   of  the 

"servant  of  the  god,"  V    |.     The  chief  of  every  large 

village,  or  town,  or  district,  usually  attached  to  his  service 
a  man  who  was  believed  to  be  able  to  hold  communica- 
tion with  the  spirits  of  the  "gods,"  and  to  have 
influence  with  them,  and  also  to  possess  powers  of  an 
occult  character  with  which,  when  necessary,  he  could 
control,  limit,  or  abrogate  the  action  of  evil  spirits.  In 
many  cases  the  chief,  and  even  the  king  of  the  whole 
country,  must  have  owed  his  position  to  the  influence 
of  this  man  and  his  assistants,  who  posed  as  interpreters 
of  the  divine  will,  and  the  acts  and  policy  of  the  chiet 
were  often  directed  by  them.  The  chief  was  supreme 
in  all  temporal  matters,  and  the  man  who  possessed 
occult  powers  was  equally  supreme  in  all  spiritual 
matters.  The  chief  was  in  primitive  times  the  strongest 
and  bravest  man  in  the  community,  the  most  fearless 
hunter,  and  the  fiercest  fighter,  and  was,  in  fact,  the 
embodiment  of  physical  strength.  The  man  of  occult 
powers  was,  on  the  other  hand,  the  incarnation  of  intelli- 
gence, agility  of  mind,  thought,  cunning,  shrewdness, 
and  foresight,  and,  when  the  Egyptians  had  acquired  the 
art  of  writing,  he  added  to  his  other  powers  the  ability 


lyo     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

to  read  and  write,  and  he  possessed  a  thorough  know- 
ledge of  the  sacred  books.  This  condition  of  things 
exists  amono-   the  communities  of  West  Africa   at  the 

O 

present  day,  for  Sir  Harry  Johnston  says  that  among 
those  where  there  has  been  no  recent  interference  of  the 
white  man,  and  no  conversion  to  Islam  or  Christianity, 
there  are  two  pillars  of  society — the  Chief  (king,  judge, 
magistrate,  leader  in  battle),  and  the  Magician  (sorcerer, 
medicine-man,  priest,  lawyer).  Sometimes,  but  rarely, 
the  functions  of  the  two  are  combined.  Usually,  the 
chief  leaves  the  laws,  police,  medicine,  meteorology, 
prophecy,  and  practical  science  of  the  tribe  to  a  distinct 
functionary,  the  magician,  the  wise  man,  or  woman,  the 
"  Nganga"  of  Bantu  Africa. 

The  title  of  the  man  who  possessed  occult  powers 
and  was  recognized  by  the  King  of  Egypt  as  the  official 
director  of  relio-ious  and  magfical  ceremonies,  was  "  Kher 

heb,"    J^    ^,   and    his    influence   was   very  great  and 

far-reaching.  He  was  well  versed  in  the  knowledge  of 
all  the  sacred  books,  he  knew  how  to  perform  both 
magfic  and  relioious  ceremonies,  and  how  and  when  to 
recite  spells  with  the  proper  tone  of  voice,  he  was  able 
to  draft  prayers,  incantations,  spells  and  magical 
formulae,  he  could  foretell  the  future,  explain  auguries 
and  portents,  interpret  dreams,  assign  causes  to  illnesses, 
and  declare  the  name  of  the  spirits  of  the  dead  which 
caused  them,  he  knew  the  great  secret  names  of  the 
gods  whereby  they  existed  and  maintained  order  in  the 
world,  he  knew  how  to  cause  death  and  to  make  the 
dead  to  live,  to  concoct  potent  medicines,  to  take  the 
form  of  anything  animate  or  inanimate  in  earth,  air, 
water  and  sky,  to  render  himself  invisible  at  pleasure, 
and  to  cast  out  devils.  Such  are  the  powers  which  the 
literature  of  ancient  Egypt  ascribes  to  the  Kher  heb. 
The  use  of  these  powers  for  a  good  purpose  and  with 
the  object  of  doing  good  to  the  living  or  the  dead  may 
be  described  as  White  Magic,  and  the  employment  of 
them  with  the  view  of  doing  harm  or  injury  to  anyone  as 
Black  Magic. 

The  legitimate  use  of  White  Magic  took  place  chiefly 
in  connection  with  the  dead,  and  the  Kher  heb  was  held 


Magic,  White  and  Black  171 

to  be  justified  in  using  his  powers  to  effect  the  preserva- 
tion of  their  bodies  and  souls,  and  to  make  the  Spirit- 
soul  to  join  the  Spirit-body.  The  formulae  which  he 
composed  and  recited  protected  the  grave,  and  kept 
away  hostile  beings,  living  and  dead,  from  it,  and 
caused  supplies  of  offerings,  on  which  the  Ka  and  the 
Heart-soul  lived,  to  appear  regularly  and  constantly  in 
the  offerings-chamber.  When  written  upon  the  walls  of 
tombs,  coffins,  sarcophagi,  wooden  boards,  amulets,  etc., 
they  became  "  words  of  power  "  of  irresistible  might,  for 
they  transferred  to  them  some  part  of  the  invisible  and 
almighty  power  which  was  believed  to  maintain  life  in 
the  gods,  and  to  support  all  creation.  The  Kher  heb 
was  the  channel  by  which  this  mysterious  and  wonderful 
power  was  made  useful  to  man,  and  his  most  sacred 
function  was  to  act  as  mediator  between  the  spirits  of 
gods  and  of  the  beatified  and  the  living.  He  was 
himself  a  great  amulet  or  charm,  for  at  times  the  spirits 
of  the  gods  made  his  body  a  temporary  abode,  and  all 
that  he  did  and  said  on  such  occasions  was  thought  to  be 
inspired  by  divine  beings  and  to  have  divine  authority. 
At  such  times  he  spoke  as  if  he  were  indeed  the  god 
who  possessed  him,  and  in  addressing  the  evil  spirit, 
or  crocodile,  or  serpent,  or  fiend,  he  bade  him  depart,  or 
fall  helpless,  or  die  because  he  was  that  god. 

Thus  in  the  Book  of  the  Dead  we  have  :  "  Get  thee, 
"  back,  crocodile  Sui,  for  I  live  by  the  magical  power  {Jieka 

**  I  U] .     My  mouth  hath  power  over  the  heka  "  (Chapter 

XXXI).  "  I  am  Osiris.  I  am  Horus.  I  am  Anpu. 
"  I  am  the  priest  in  heaven"  (Chapter  XXXI).  "Get 
"  thee  back,  Crocodile,  I  am  Set.  Get  thee  back, 
"  Crocodile,  I  am  Osiris.  Get  thee  back.  Crocodile, 
"  I  am  Sept.  Get  thee  back.  Crocodile,  I  am  Tem. 
"  Get  thee  back.  Crocodile,  I  am  Uatch-Merti,  I 
"am  Ra"  (Chapter  XXXII).  "O  serpent,  I  am  the 
"  Lynx  "  (Chapter  XXXIV).  "  I  command  the  spirits  " 
(Chapter  XXXVI 1 1  a).  "I  am  the  two  lion-gods.  I 
"  stand  in  the  Boat  of  Ra,  and  I  recite  his  commands, 
"and  announce  his  words"  (Chapter  XXXVIII). 
"  Depart  from  me,  O  Apshait,  for  I  am  Khnemu,  and 
"  I    carry    the   words    of    the   gods   to    Ra "    (Chapter 


172     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

XXXVI).  "  I  am  the  Great  One,  son  of  the  Great 
"  One.  I  am  fire,  the  son  of  Fire"  (Chapter  XLIII). 
"  I  am  Yesterday,  To-day,  and  To-morrow.  I  shall 
"  be  born  a  second  time.  I  am  the  Soul  who  created 
"  the  gods,  and  I  feed  the  beings  in  the  Tuat "  (Chapter 
LXIV).  "  I  am  the  Fire-god,  brother  of  the  Fire-god  ; 
"  I  am  Osiris,  brother  of  I  sis.  I  am  Orion.  I  am 
"  Anubis.  I  am  Horus.  I  am  Tem.  I  was  in  the 
"  birth-chamber  of  Osiris.  I  was  born  with  him.  I 
"  renew  my  youth "  (Chapter  LXIX).  "  I  am  the 
"  girdle  of  the  robe  of  Nu.  I  rescued  the  Eye  of  Ra 
"  when  it  grew  dim.  I  judged  Sut.  I  turned  the  night 
"  into  day "  (Chapter  LXXX).  "  My  tongue  is  the 
"tongue  of  Ptah"  (Chapter  LXXXII).  "I  created 
"  myself  like  Khepera.  I  am  Khensu  (Moon-god),  who 
"  beateth  down  all  opposition"  (Chapter  LXXXIII). 
"  I  am  the  Soul,  which  is  God.  I  am  the  Souls  of 
"  everlastingness,  and  my  body  is  eternity.  My  form 
"  is  everlastingness  "  (Chapter  LXXXV).  "  I  know  the 
"  hidden  ways  and  the  doors  of  Sekhet-Aarru  "  (Chapter 
LXXXV  I).  "  I  am  the  serpent  Sata.  I  die  and  I  am 
"born  each  day"  (Chapter  LXXXVII).  "  I  am  the 
"divine  crocodile  dwelling  amid  terror"  (Chapter 
LXXXV  I II).  "I  smite  with  terror  the  powers  of  the 
"  rain  and  thunder"  (Chapter  XCV). 

In  several  of  the  magical  texts  which  contain  spells 
reference  is  made  to  various  calamities  which  befell 
the  gods  or  goddesses,  and  the  rubrics  say  that  the 
spells  there  written  were  the  identical  spells  which 
were  recited  to  effect  the  deliverance  or  relief  of  the 
injured  deities.  Thus  Horus  was  stung  by  a  scorpion, 
but  Isis,  by  the  advice  of  Nephthys  and  Serqet, 
prayed  to  Ra,  who  stopped  his  boat,  and  sent  Thoth 
to  heal  the  child.  Thoth  came  bearing  with  him 
magical  power  {^hekd)  obtained  from  Ra,  and  the  poison 
having  been  expelled  from  the  body  of  Horus,  the 
suffering  child  recovered.  If  a  person  who  was  stung 
by  a  scorpion  would  bear  this  story  in  mind,  the  poison 
would  leave  his  body,  as  it  left  the  body  of  Horus.  Or, 
if  anyone  recited  this  story  over  a  man  stung  by  a 
scorpion  he  would  be  healed.-^ 

^  This  story  is  told  on  the  Metternich  Stele  (ed.  Golenischeff). 


Magic,  White  and  Black  173 

Another  great  source  of  the  magician's  power  was 
the  secret  names  of  the  gods,  which  he  professed  to 
know.  The  existence  of  every  god,  and  indeed  of 
every  being,  was  bound  up  in  his  secret  name,  and  he 
who  knew  these  names  and  how  to  utter  them  was  their 
master.  The  importance  of  the  name  is  well  illustrated 
by  the  following  legend  of  Ra  and  Isis.^  When  Ra 
reigned  on  earth  as  well  as  in  heaven,  Isis  was  seized 
with  the  desire  to  know  his  secret  name,  which  was  the 
source  of  his  life  and  sovereignty.  She  knew  everything 
except  this  name.  Ra  was  old,  and  dribbled  at  the 
mouth,  and  catching  some  of  his  spittle  she  kneaded  it 
with  earth  and  made  a  serpent,  which  she  placed  on  the 
path  of  the  god  so  that  it  might  bite  him  when  he  passed 
by.  When  Ra  came  along  with  the  gods,  this  serpent 
bit  him,  and  as  the  poison  flowed  through  his  body  he 
suffered  great  pain,  and  was  about  to  die.  Then  Isis 
came  and  asked  the  god  to  tell  her  his  secret  name,  but 
though  he  enumerated  many  of  his  names,  his  great  and 
secret  name  was  not  among  them.  Meanwhile  his 
agony  increased,  and  when  his  body  became  filled  with 
the  fire  of  the  poison,  and  he  was  unable  any  longer  to 
bear  it,  he  promised  that  his  secret  name  should  be 
transferred  to  Isis ;  this  apparently  took  place,  for  Ra 
recovered,  but  what  the  name  was  we  do  not  know. 
The  knowledge  of  names  plays  a  very  prominent  part 
in  the  Book  of  the  Dead.  Thus,  to  be  acquitted  in  the 
Judgment  Hall  of  Osiris,  it  was  necessary  for  the 
deceased  to  know  the  names  of  the  Two-and- Forty 
gods  who  were  there.  To  obtain  a  passage  in  the  magic 
boat  (Chapter  XCIX)  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  know 
the  secret  name  of  every  part  of  it,  and  to  be  able  to 
utter  them  correctly.  To  pass  through  the  Seven  Halls 
and  the  Pylons  of  the  Kingdom  of  Osiris  he  had  to 
know  not  only  their  names,  but  also  the  names  of  their 
Porters,  Watchers,  and  Heralds  (Chapters  CXLIV- 
CXLVIII),  Before  he  could  escape  from  the  net  of 
the  catcher  of  souls  he  was  obliged  to  know  and  declare 
the  names  of  every  part  of  it  (Chapter  CLIIIa).  As 
specimens  of  magical  names  may  be  quoted  the  follow- 
ing :    Sharesharekhet,     Shapuneterarika,     Shaka    Amen 

^  See  Lefebure,  A.Z.^  1883,  p.  27  ff. 
VOL.  11.  N 


174     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

Shakanasa,  Atareamtcherqemturennuparsheta,  Kasaika 
Arethikasathika,  Amennaankaentekshare,  Retasashaka, 
Ireqai,  Marqatha,  Rerei,  Nasaqbubu,  Thanasathanasa, 
Shareshathakatha,  Haqahakakaher,  Anrauaaqersaanqre- 
bathi,  Kherserau,  Harepukakashareshabaiu  (Chapter 
CLXII  ff.).  In  the  Magical  Papyrus  (B.M.,  No.  10,042) 
we  have  the  following  words  of  power  : — 

Atir-Atisau,  Atirkaha-Atisau,  Smauimatemu-Atisau. 
Smautanenmui-Atisau,  Smauttekaiu-Atisau. 
Smauttekabaiu-Atisau,  Smauttchakaratcha-Atisau. 
Tauarhasaqinahama,  Sennfetta,  Bathetet,  Satitaui. 
Anrahakathasatitaui,    Haubairhuru    (?),    Haari  (Col. 
XII). 

Papaluka,  Paparuka,  Papalur  (Col.  VII). 

In  a  spell  in  the  same  papyrus  we  read  :  "  I  am  the 
"  chosen  one  of  millions  of  years,  who  cometh  out  of  the 
"  Tuat,  whose  name  is  unknown."  If  this  name  be 
"  cut  "  {i.e.,  uttered)  on  the  river  bank,  it  will  slice  it 
away  ;  and  if  it  be  cut  on  the  ground  a  fire  will  break 
out.  The  power  of  this  spell  was  very  great.  If  a  man 
repeated  it  four  times,  ^  and  held  in  his  hand  at  the  same 
time  a  drawing  of  the  Eye  of  the  Sun  with  a  figure  of 
An- Her  in  it,  the  earth  would  collapse  into  the  celestial 
ocean,  and  the  South  would  become  the  North.  A  man 
who  knew  the  next  spell  in  the  papyrus  became  like  one 
who  had  seventy-seven  eyes  and  seventy-seven  ears 
(Column  VII).  The  most  remarkable  use  of  the  name 
of  a  god  as  a  word  of  power  is  related  in  the  Book  of 
Overthrowing  Apep  (British  Museum,  No.  10,188).  In 
this  the   crod   Tem   describes  how  he  created  the  world 

o 

and  all  the  generations  thereof.  There  was  a  time,  he 
says,  when  no  one  and  nothing  existed  except  himself. 
A  desire  came  over  him  to  create  the  world,  and  he 
carried  it  into  effect  by  making  his  mouth  utter  his  own 
name  as  a  word  of  power,  and  straightway  the  world 
and  all  therein  came  into  being. ^    The  things  which  came 

^  The  Gallas  to  this  day  recite  their  semi-magical  prayers  four  times. 
See  Pauhtschke,  Ethnographie  Nordost-Afrikas,  1896,  Vol.  2,  p.   45. 


Magic,  White  and  Black  175 

into  being  as  the  result  of  the  utterance  of  the  secret 
name  of  Temu  contained  some  of  the  power  of  that 
name,  which  existed  henceforward  in  the  secret  names 
which  they  possessed.  What  the  secret  name  of  Tem 
really  was  the  papyrus  does  not  say,  but  it  is  quite  clear 
that  the  Egyptians  thought  that  heaven,  earth,  and  the 
Other  World,  and  every  being  and  thing  which  were  in 
them,  existed  by  virtue  of  it.  To  possess  the  knowledge 
of  the  secret  names  of  God,  and  those  of  the  gods,  and 
of  things  animate  and  inanimate,  was  the  magician's 
chief  object  in  life,  and  his  desire  to  acquire  it  is  easy  to 
understand  ;  for,  according  to  the  belief  of  the  period,  it 
made  him  master  of  all  the  powers  in  this  world. 

The  power  of  the  spell,  or  incantation,  or  of  any 
word  of  power,  was  greatly  increased  by  the  use  of 
magical  pictures  and  amulets  which  contained  either 
a  portion  of  heka  power,  or  an  indwelling  spirit.  Thus, 
if  a  certain  kind  of  wreath  was  laid  on  the  face  of  a 
dead  person,  and  the  Kher  heb  recited  the  words  of 
power  which  formed  the  XlXth  Chapter  of  the  Book 
of  the  Dead,  whilst  incense  was  being  burnt,  that  dead 
person  would  never  lack  food,  and  would  always  over- 
come his  enemies.  The  fumes  of  the  incense  rising 
heavenwards  was  supposed  to  bear  the  words  of  power 
with  them  to  Osiris,  who  heard  them  and  did  as  the 
petitioner  desired.  Again,  to  cause  the  spirit  of  the  dead 
man  to  have  power  like  Osiris  in  the  Other  World,  it 
was  necessary  to  perform  elaborate  ceremonies  and  to 
use  amulets,  as  well  as  to  recite  four  potent  spells.  Four 
lamps,  with  wicks  made  of  dtnid  cloth  which  had  been 
steeped  in  Libyan  unguent  [hdtet),  were  kindled,  and 
these  were  held  in  the  hands  of  four  men,  each  of  whom 
had  written  on  his  shoulder  the  name  of  one  of  the  Four 
Sons  of  Horus.  Four  troughs  were  made  of  earth  on 
which  incense  had  been  sprinkled,  and  these  were  filled 
with  the  milk  of  a  white  cow.  After  the  lamps  had 
been   burning  for   a    time    in   the   sun-light,   they   were 


0        -^    °     'i-i'     ^T_       7^l    \;<X        'i-J     (f     7^1  i     t-Jf     (^ 


N    2 


176     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

quenched,  each  in  one  of  the  troughs  of  milk.  The 
performance  of  this  ceremony  was  to  be  witnessed  by 
none  save  a  man,  or  his  father,  or  his  son.  A  tet  of 
crystal,  a  figure  of  Anubis,  a  figure  of  a  mummy,  and 
the  model  of  a  palm  tree,  seven  cubits  in  height,  each 
mounted  on  a  small  mud  brick  inscribed  with  its  own 
spell,  were  then  placed  in  the  east,  west,  north,  and 
south  walls  of  the  tomb  respectively,  and  the  text  of  the 
CXXXVIIth  Chapter  of  the  Book  of  the  Dead  was' 
recited.  How  the  power  of  these  amulets  worked,  and 
what  exactly  the  ceremonies  were  supposed  to  do  we 
know  not,  but  the  general  evidence  of  the  Chapter  itself 
suggests  that  they  made  the  soul  of  the  dead  man  to 
ascend  into  heaven  in  the  form  of  Osiris  or  Ra.  The 
Rubric  says  that  the  figure  of  the  mummy  is  to  be 
smeared  with  bitumen  and  set  fire  to,  and  we  may 
assume  that,  as  the  body  of  the  deceased  is  thus  burned 
symbolically,  his  spirit  rises  in  the  flame,  and  mingles 
with  the  flames  of  the  four  sacred  lamps  of  the  Four 
Sons  of  Horus,  and  is  thus  united  to  the  soul  of  Osiris, 
which,  it  seems,  sometimes  took  the  form  of  a  flame  of 
fire.  These  ceremonies  are  said  to  be  "an  exceedingly 
"  great  mystery  of  Amentet,  and  a  type  of  the  hidden 
"  thinors  of  the  Other  World."  More  than  once  the 
Rubrics  order  that  such  ceremonies  as  these  are  not  to 
be  witnessed  by  the  "  dwellers  in  the  papyrus  swamps," 
i.e.,  the  fen-men  of  the  Delta,  who  were  also  not  to  be 
allowed  to  know  the  texts  which  related  to  them,  or  even 
to  see  copies  of  them  (Chapters  CLXI  and  CXC). 

The  Rubrics  to  the  magical  texts  make  clear  another 
very  important  fact  in  connection  with  the  working  of 
magical  ceremonies  and  the  reciting  of  spells  by  the 
Kher  heb,  viz.,  that  before  undertaking  anything  of  the 
kind  he  must  make  himself  ceremonially  pure.  The 
things  described  in  the  Rubrics  to  Chapter  CXXXVII 
were  ordered  to  "■  be  performed  by  a  man  who  is  washed 
"  clean  and  is  ceremonially  pure,  one  who  has  neither 
"  eaten  meat  nor  fish  recently,  and  has  not  had  inter- 
"  course  with  women."  The  famous  Judgment  Chapter 
was  to  be  recited  "  by  a  man  who  was  washed  clean  and 
"  purified,  who  was  clad  in  linen  garments,  and  was  shod 
"  with  white  leather  sandals  ;  his  eyes  must  be  painted 


Magic,  White  and  Black  177 

"  with  antimony,  and  his  body  anointed  with  anti 
"  unguent  "  (Chapter  CXXV).  The  spiritual  faculties  of 
the  magician  were  rendered  more  keen  by  abstention 
from  carnal  pleasures,  and  the  words  of  the  man  who  was 
clean  "  within  and  without,  before  and  behind,"  were 
believed  to  possess  greater  power,  and  to  be  followed 
more  quickly  by  the  desired  effect,  than  those  of  him  to 
whom  personal  cleanliness  was  of  small  account.  The 
higher  the  degree  of  cleanliness  of  his  mind  and  body, 
the  greater  was  the  influence  of  the  magician  over  the 
spirits  whom  he  summoned  to  help  him.  The  White 
Magic  of  the  Egyptians,  notwithstanding  the  ceremonies 
and  spells,  and  figures  and  amulets,  which  were 
associated  with  it,  was  sanctified  by  the  chief  object  for 
which  it  was  employed,  namely,  the  resurrection  of  the 
Spirit-body  and  the  rejoining  of  the  Spirit-soul  to  it  in  the 
kingdom  of  Osiris.  Besides  this,  it  was  used  to  heal 
sicknesses  and  to  drive  out  devils  and  evil  spirits  from 
suffering  humanity,  and  the  general  trend  of  its  influence 
was  for  good.  In  every  important  event  in  the  life  of 
the  Egyptian,  from  his  cradle  to  his  grave,  White  Magic 
played  a  prominent  part.  It  brought  to  him  at  his  birth 
good  spirits,  who  watched  over  him  and  protected  him, 
it  gave  him  amulets  which  brought  the  living  power  of 
his  gods  to  his  body  as  he  grew  up,  it  provided 
beneficent  spells  which  guarded  his  wife  and  children, 
and  house,  and  farm,  and  animals,  and  other  possessions, 
its  precepts  led  him  to  worship  his  ancestral  spirits  and 
gods,  and  when  he  died  its  rites  and  ceremonies  were 
employed  to  secure  the  admission  of  his  soul  into  the 
kingdom  of  spirits. 

There  were,  however,  in  Egypt  many  men  who 
professed  the  art  of  Black  Magic,  the  object  of  which 
was  to  do  harm.  In  their  hands  the  powers  of  magic 
were  generally  misused,  and  disastrous  results,  if  we  may 
believe  the  papyri,  were  the  consequence.  One  of  the 
commonest  ways  of  working  evil  was  by  means  of  the 
wax  figure.  A  man  employed  a  magician  to  make  in 
wax  a  figure  of  his  enemy,  whose  name  was  cut  or 
written  upon  it,  and  then  to  work  magic  upon  it  by 
reciting  spells  over  it.  If  the  spells  contained  curses, 
they  were  supposed  to  take  effect  upon  the  living  man  ; 


1 78     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

and  if  the  figure  were  stabbed,  or  gashes  made  in  it  with 
a  knife,  the  Hving  man  suffered  terrible  pain,  or  wounds 
appeared  in  his  body.  If  the  figure  were  destroyed  by 
fire  or  by  any  other  means,  the  death  of  the  Hving  man 
ensued.  The  Westcar  Papyrus  tells  us  that  the  wife  of 
one  Aba-aner  committed  adultery  in  his  garden  with  one 
of  his  servants.  When  the  news  of  this  was  brought 
to  him,  he  made  a  model  of  a  crocodile  in  wax,  and  told 
his  servant  to  go  and  place  it  in  the  river  at  the  spot 
where  his  guilty  wife's  paramour  was  in  the  habit  of 
bathing.  As  soon  as  this  man  entered  the  water  on  the 
following  day,  the  wax  crocodile  turned  into  a  huge 
living  crocodile,  which  quickly  devoured  him.  The 
Rollin  Papyrus  states  that  certain  evil  men  succeeded  in 
stealing  a  book  of  magic  from  the  Royal  Library,  and 
that  by  following  the  directions  contained  in  it  they 
succeeded  in  making  wax  figures,  on  which  they  worked 
magic  with  the  view  of  injuring  or  killing  the  king  of 
Egypt.  This  was  held  to  be  treason  in  the  first  degree, 
and  the  malefactors  seem  to  have  suffered  the  death 
penalty.  The  use  of  the  wax  figure  was  not  disdained 
by  the  priests  of  Amen-Ra  at  Thebes,  for  they  regularly 
burnt  a  wax  figure  of  the  fiend  Apep,  who  daily  endea- 
voured to  prevent  the  sun  from  rising.  This  figure  was 
in  the  form  of  a  serpent  of  many  folds,  on  which  the 
name  Apep  was  written  or  cut.  A  case  made  of  papyrus 
inscribed  with  spells  containing  curses  was  prepared,  and, 
the  wax  serpent  having  been  placed  inside  it,  both  case 
and  figure  were  cast  into  a  fire  made  of  a  special  kind  of 
plant.  Whilst  they  were  burning  the  priest  recited 
curses,  and  stamped  upon  them  with  his  left  foot  until 
they  were  rendered  shapeless  and  were  finally  destroyed. 
This  magical  ceremony  was  believed  to  be  very  helpful 
to  Ra,  the  Sun-god,  who  uttered  over  the  real  Apep 
spells  which  paralysed  him,  and  then  killed  him  by  the 
fiery  darts  of  his  rays,  and  consumed  him. 

Further  information  about  the  powers  said  to  be 
possessed  by  Egyptian  magicians  is  given  by  the 
Westcar  Papyrus.  Thus  in  the  reign  of  Seneferu  one 
Tchatcha-em-ankh  divided  the  water  of  a  lake  into  two 
parts,  and  placed  one  part  upon  the  other,  in  order  to 
allow  a  singing  woman,  who  was  rowing  the  royal  boat 


Magic,  White  and  Black  179 

with  the  king  in  it,  to  recover  a  jewel  which  had  dropped 
from  her  into  the  water  as  she  rowed  and  sang.  Another 
magician,  called  Teti,  who  lived  in  the  reign  of  Khufu, 
could  make  a  lion  follow  him  without  leading  him  by  a 
rope,  and  knew  certain  mysteries  connected  with  the 
sanctuary  of  Thoth,  and  could  rejoin  the  head  of  a  man 
to  his  body  after  it  had  been  cut  off,  and  make  him  live 
again.  He  was  brought  into  Khufu  s  presence  by  Prince 
Herutataf,  and  the  king  commanded  that  a  prisoner 
should  be  given  to  him,  so  that  he  might  exhibit  a  proof 
of  his  magical  powers  before  His  Majesty.  Teti,  how- 
ever, suorcrested  that  some  animal  should  be  substituted 
for  the  prisoner,  and  a  goose  was  brought  in.  Having 
cut  off  its  head,  he  placed  the  head  and  the  body  in 
different  parts  of  the  room,  the  former  on  the  west  side 
and  the  latter  on  the  east.  He  then  uttered  words  of 
power,  and  the  head  and  the  body  began  to  move  towards 
each  other  ;  when  they  came  close  together,  the  head 
leapt  back  to  its  place  on  its  body,  and  the  bird  quacked. 
Another  kind  of  bird  was  treated  in  the  same  way,  and 
its  head  rejoined  its  body  as  in  the  case  of  the  goose. 
An  ox  was  then  brought  and  its  head  was  cut  off,  and 
the  words  of  power  of  Teti  caused  it  to  rejoin  its  body. 

As  the  worker  of  White  Magic  used  the  hidden 
names  of  gods  and  good  spirits  as  words  of  power,  so  the 
sorcerer  used  the  hidden  names  of  devils  and  fiends  as 
spells  which  produced  evil.  The  knowledge  of  these 
names  made  him  master  of  the  devils  who  entered  the 
bodies  of  the  living  and  produced  diseases  of  every  kind, 
and  who  unhesitatingly  performed  his  commands.  The 
names  of  Set  and  his  fiends  could  be  made  to  produce 
thunder,  lightning,  storm,  cold,  famine,  pestilence,  and 
death.  The  use  of  the  names  of  the  spirits  of  poisonous 
plants  enabled  him  to  concoct  deadly  poisons,  and 
decoctions  made  from  parts  of  savage  animals  and 
venomous  reptiles,  and  liquid  from  dead  human  bodies, 
formed  ingredients  in  his  baleful  "medicine."  Like  the 
modern  fortune-teller,  he  professed  to  read  the  future, 
and  a  complete  calendar  of  the  lucky  and  unlucky  days  of 
the  year,  of  which  we  have  one  complete  copy^  and  one 

^  See    Budge,  Egyptian  Hieratic  Papyri  in  the  British   Museum^ 
Plates  XXXI  and  XXXII. 


i8o     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

incomplete/  enabled  him  to  declare  what  day,  and  what 
part  of  it,  would  be  propitious  for  undertaking  any  proposed 
work.  He  professed  to  be  able  to  hold  intercourse  with 
the  spirits  of  the  dead,  and  to  have  an  intimate  acquaint- 
ance with  all  that  took  place  in  the  Other  World.  Thus 
in  the  Second  Tale  of  Kha-em-uas^  we  read  how  one 
Setme  went  into  the  Tuat,  and  having  passed  through 
its  various  halls  he  saw  Osiris  seated  in  judgment,  with 
Anubis  on  his  left  hand  and  Thoth  on  his  rieht,  whilst 
the  Assessors  were  on  both  sides  of  him.  He  saw  the 
Balance  standing  there,  and  learned  that  the  men  whose 
good  deeds  exceeded  their  evil  deeds  entered  among  the 
lords  of  Amentet,  whilst  their  souls  went  to  heaven. 
Those  whose  evil  deeds  exceeded  their  good  deeds  were 
delivered  to  the  Devourer,  and  their  souls  and  bodies 
were  destroyed  for  ever.  This  same  tale  describes  the 
magical  powers  which  were  possessed  by  Setme's  son, 
Sa-Asar.  Thus  he  could  read  books  without  opening 
them,  and  he  told  the  king  the  contents  of  a  letter  which 
an  Ethiopian  had  brought  to  him.  The  magician  Hor 
made  a  model  in  wax  of  a  litter  for  four  bearers,  and, 
having  pronounced  a  spell  over  it,  ordered  it  to  go  to  the 
Sudan  and  bring  back  the  Viceroy,  so  that  he  might  be 
beaten  with  500  stripes,  and  to  return  in  six  hours  ;  and 
it  is  related  that  the  litter  did  so.^  During  a  contest 
between  this  same  Hor  and  an  Ethiopian  magician,  the 
Ethiopian  caused  fire  to  appear  in  the  palace  ;  in  reply 
Hor  recited  a  spell,  and  a  shower  of  rain  came  and  put 
out  the  fire.  The  Ethiopian  then  caused  the  heavens  to 
become  black,  so  that  no  man  could  see  his  neighbour, 
whereupon  Hor  recited  a  spell  and  made  the  darkness  to 
pass  away.  Then  the  Ethiopian  made  a  huge  vault  of 
stone,  200  cubits  long  and  50  cubits  broad,  to  be  above 
the  heads  of  Pharaoh  and  his  princes,  and  it  threatened 
to  crash  down  and  kill  them  all ;  when  the  king  and  his 
people  saw  this  they  uttered  piercing  shrieks.  Hor,  how- 
ever, uttered  a  spell,  which  caused  a  great  phantom  boat, 
apparently  made  of  papyrus,  to  come  into  being,  and  he 
made  it  carry  the  stone  vault  away  to  the  Great  Water 
of  Egypt  (Lake  Moeris). 

1  Sallier  Papyrus  No.  IV  (No.  10,184). 

2  Ed.  Griffith,  p.  46.  3  /^/^.^  p.  ^g_ 


Magic,  White  and  Black  i8i 

From  the  works  of  Greek  writers  of  the  Graeco- 
Roman  Period  we  know  that  Egyptian  sorcerers  at  that 
time  were  supposed  to  be  able  to  send  terrifying  dreams 
to  men  and  women,  to  steal  the  mind  and  senses  from  a 
man,  to  rob  the  lover  of  his  beloved's  love,  to  alienate  a 
wife's  affections  from  her  husband,  to  fill  men  and  women 
with  longings  for  illicit  love,  to  cause  sickness  and  death, 
to  raise  the  dead,  to  take  the  forms  of  animals,  birds, 
reptiles,  etc.,  to  make  themselves  invisible,  to  involve 
men  in  loss  or  ruin,  to  control  the  powers  of  heaven  and 
earth,  etc.  There  is  nothing  strange  in  this,  for  powers 
to  perform  all  these  things  were  claimed  by  ancient 
Egyptian  magicians.  In  the  Ptolemaic  Period,  magicians 
began  to  cast  nativities  and  to  make  horoscopes,  and  to 
claim  the  power  of  explaining  the  alleged  influences  of 
the  Seven  Planets,  and  the  Twelve  Signs  of  the  Zodiac, 
and  the  Thirty-six  Dekans,  on  the  lives  of  men. 
Nectanebus,  the  last  native  king  of  Egypt,  was  reputed 
to  be  the  greatest  of  magicians,  for  he  knew  what  was  in 
the  depths  of  the  Nile  and  the  sea,  he  could  work  the 
astrolabe,  read  the  stars,  cast  nativities,  foretell  the 
destinies  of  men,  and  he  slew  his  enemies  by  sea  and  by 
land  by  the  use  of  words  of  power  and  mighty  names  and 
wax  figures.  He  made  wax  models  of  ships  and  their 
crews,  and  of  regiments  of  soldiers,  some  representing 
those  of  his  own  country  and  others  those  of  the  enemy, 
and  setting  them  face  to  face  he  recited  over  them  his 
words  of  power.  The  figures  of  the  soldiers  or  sailors, 
as  the  case  might  be,  then  began  to  fight,  and  as  the  wax 
figures  of  his  troops  slew  and  routed  those  of  their  oppo- 
nents, his  living  enemies  were  destroyed.  One  day  his 
words  of  power  failed  to  produce  their  customary  effect, 
and,  realizing  that  the  gods  of  Egypt  had  forsaken  him, 
he  collected  all  the  money  he  could  carry  and  fled  by  ship 
to  Macedon,  where  by  magical  means  he  seduced 
Olympias,  and  became,  according  to  Pseudo-Callisthenes, 
the  father  of  Alexander  the  Great.  He  went  to  the 
fields  and  collected  a  number  of  plants  which  possessed 
magical  properties,  and,  having  pounded  them  and 
squeezed  out  their  juice,  he  made  a  figure  of  Olympias, 
and  wrote  her  name  upon  it ;  he  then  poured  the  juice 
of  the  plants  over  it  and  laid  it  down  in  the  attitude  of 


1 82     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

sleep  by  the  fire.  Nectanebus  recited  spells  and  names 
over  the  figure,  and  the  result  of  these  was  to  cause 
Olympias  to  dream  that  a  spirit  called  Amen  came  to 
her  and  was  united  with  her,  and  that  she  conceived 
a  man-child  by  him.  Shortly  after  this  Nectanebus 
disguised  himself  as  Amen  and  went  to  the  queen's 
chamber,  and,  believing  him  to  be  the  god  who  had 
appeared  to  her  in  her  dream,  she  admitted  him  to  her 
embrace.^ 

The    Egyptian    Christians    were    nearly    as    much 
addicted  to  the  use  of  magic  as  their  "  pagan  "  ancestors. 

With    them    the   Cross  took  the  place  of  the  ankh  •¥•> 

and  its  name  became  a  word  of  power.  The  sign  of  the 
Cross  terrified  the  devil,  drove  away  fiends,  and  healed 
the  sick,  and  the  Name  of  Christ  possessed  untold 
power.  The  Devil  fled  before  it  "  like  a  sparrow  before 
a  hawk,"  and  a  hippopotamus  which  ravaged  the  crops, 
being  adjured  by  it  to  depart,  ceased  to  do  harm,  and 
departed  and  was  no  more  seen.  The  Christian  Fathers 
asserted  that  even  laymen  might  drive  away  devils  by 
the  Name  of  Christ  and  the  Sign  of  the  Cross. 
Macarius,  by  the  sprinkling  of  holy  water,  restored  to 
her  human  form  a  woman  who  had  been  transformed 
into  a  mare.  Paul  the  Simple  cast  out  from  a  man 
a  devil,  who  took  the  form  of  "  a  mighty  dragon  seventy 
cubits  long."  The  monk  Apollo  cast  spells  upon  certain 
priests  and  people  who  were  worshipping  an  image,  and 
they  remained  powerless  to  move  under  a  blazing  sun, 
until  he  prayed  over  them  and  removed  the  spell.  A 
friend  of  this  Apollo  called  Ammon  appealed  to  Christ 
to  destroy  a  serpent,  and  as  soon  as  the  reptile  heard 
this  name  it  burst  asunder.  Bessarion  walked  on  the 
water,  and  made  the  sun  to  stand  still.  Petarpemotis 
made  a  dead  man  to  speak,  and  walked  upon  the  water, 
and  entered  into  a  chamber  where  the  brethren  were  "  in 
the  air  by  the  power  of  the  angels,"  and  visited  Paradise 
and  saw  the  saints,  and  brought  back  figs  therefrom. 
When  the  people  mixed  the  sand  which  he  had  blessed 
with  the  sterile  soil  in  their  land,  crops  grew  straightway 

^  Ethiopic  Version,  ed.  Budge,  p.  lo  ff. 


Magic,  White  and  Black  183 

which  were  larger  and  more  abundant  than  those  of  any- 
other  part  of  Egypt. ^ 

With  the  description  of  the  alleged  powers  of  ancient 
Egyptian  magicians  set  forth  in  the  previous  pages,  we 
may   now    compare    the    statements    made    by    various 
travellers  about  the  medicine-men  and  witch-doctors  and 
their  doings  in   Central   and  Western   Africa  in   recent 
years.      According  to    Schweinfurth,   the   creed   of    the 
Dinkas  centres  in  an  institution  called  "  Cogyoor,"  which 
embraces    a  society  of    necromancers    and   jugglers    by 
profession.    They  are  expert  conjurers  and  ventriloquists, 
and    are   familiar  with   the  ghosts  of   the  dead."      The 
Matabele  recognize  two  kinds  of  witchcraft.     One  kind 
includes  the  "  making  of  medicine"  to  cause  rain  and  the 
performance    of    ceremonies    to   appease    the    spirits    of 
ancestors.      The    other    kind    consists   of  evil    practices 
which  were  supposed  to  cause  sickness  and  death. ^     If 
a  man  wants  to  cause  his  enemy  to  be  speared,  he  makes 
a  clay  figure,  which   is  supposed  to  represent  him,  and 
pierces  it  with  a  pin.     Anyone    can    be    bewitched    by 
spreading  medicine  on  his  path  or  in  his  hut.      He  who 
possesses  the  liver  and  entrails  of  a  crocodile  can  cause 
the  death  of  anyone  he  pleases.     There  are  two  kinds  of 
witch-doctors.     One  kind  works  his  magic  by  throwing 
three  bones,  and  watching  the  positions  in  which   they 
fall ;    the  other  kind    chants    his    spells    and    oracles  in 
a  shrill  voice.       Both   kinds    hold    intercourse  with  the 
spirits  of  the  dead.     The  blood  and  gall  of  a  black  ox 
were  used  by  the  witch-doctors  in  the  charm  for  making 
rain.*      Among    the    Bongo    many   of    the    chiefs    are 
magicians,  or  medicine-men,  and  they  owe  much  of  their 
influence    over    their  peoples   to  the  fact  that  they  are 
believed  to  possess  power  over  the  spirits  of  the  dead,  all 
of  whom  are  supposed  to   be  capable  of  doing  mischief. 
As  the  Bongo  have  no  belief  in  the  existence  of  good 
spirits  it  follows  that  the  only  magic  they  know  is   Black 
Mag-ic.     The  Boncro  medicine-man  holds  communication 

^  For  the  statements  in  this  paragraph  see  my  Paradise  of  the  Holy 
Fathers,  Vol.  I,  p.  XLix  ff. 

■^  Heart  of  Africa.  Vol.  I,  p.  1 69. 

^  Nassau,  Fetichism,  p.  117  ;  Decle,  Three  Years,  p.  152. 

^  Decle,  Three  Years,  p.  153. 


184     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

with  spirits  by  means  of  certain  roots,  decoctions  and 
preparations  of  which  are  used  to  do  harm  to  Hving 
persons.^  Among  the  Baganda  each  tribe  or  clan  has  its 
own  Muchwezi,  or  sorcerer  {i.e.,  medicine-man,  or  witch- 
doctor), who  conducts  the  worship  of  ancestral  spirits. 
There  are,  however,  besides  many  doctors  in  white  or 
black  magic.^  The  men  who  attend  to  the  worship  of 
the  various  gods  and  ancestral  spirits  were  termed 
"  Bamandwa."  They  were  also  diviners,  and  were  able 
by  superstitious  means  to  answer  questions  as  if  they 
were  oracles.  The  Mandwa  would  listen  to  the  question, 
and  having  made  the  sign  of  the  cross  with  a  strip  of 
leather  on  which  were  sewn  nine  kauri  shells  (called 
"  Engato "),  and  flung  this  object  before  him,  would 
answer  it  as  one  inspired.  The  priests  of  Mukasa,  the 
god  of  Lake  Victoria,  carried  a  paddle  as  an  emblem  of 
their  office,^  just  as  do  twelve  of  the  gods  in  the  pictures 
in  the  Egyptian  Books  of  the  Other  World.*  In 
Kavirondo  witchcraft  is  of  two  kinds,  "  obufira," 
i.e.,  white  magic,  or  the  use  of  hypnotism  and  divination 
for  innocent  purposes  ;  and  "  obulugo,"  which  is  little 
else  than  killing  people  by  poison,  or  fright.^  Their 
witch-doctors  are  great  experts  in  the  lore  of  omens 
derived  from  the  appearance  of  the  entrails  of  sheep. 
Besides  ancestral  spirits  two  gods  are  worshipped  by  the 
Ba- Kavirondo  :  Awafwa,  the  god  of  good  spirits,  and 
Ishishemi,  a  sort  of  devil. ^  The  right  side  is  lucky  and 
the  left  unlucky,'^  as  in  ancient  Egypt.  The  witch- 
doctors among  the  Basoga  of  the  island  of  Bavuma 
recognize  two  classes  of  spirits,  one  good^  and  the  other 
bad,®  and    each    spirit   has    its    own   priest.       They  are 

1  Schweinfurth,  Heart  of  Africa,  Vol.  I,  p.  306 ;  Frobenius,  Die 
Heiden-Neger,  p.  361. 

2  Johnston,  Uga?ida,  Vol.  II,  p.  589. 
^  Ibid.,  p.  676. 

■*  Budge,  Am-Tuat,  p.  189  ;  Book  of  Gates,  p.  276. 

^  Johnston,  Uganda,  Vol.  II,  p.  751. 

^  Ibid.,  p.  750.  "^  Ibid.,  p.  751. 

^  These  are  :  Nasaniba,  Walumbe,  Waitambugwe,  Kintu,  Maganda, 
Maero,  Bugingo,  Takwe,  Kisalumkaba,  Kirongo,  Lukamaembe, 
Nalango,  Kitako,  Kalesa,  Duungu,  Nabisana,  Kigulu,  Kaliro, 
Naigombwa,  Lumbui,  Kamiantumbe,  Kakua,  Kambuzi. 

^  These  are :  Irukoma,  Isodzi,  Buvuma,  Kasota,  Wesege,  Nambaga, 
Kitiko,  Meru,  Buyegu,  Nabirie. — See  Johnston,  op.  cii.,  II,  p.  718. 


Magic,  White  and  Black  185 

worshipped  by  offerings  which  are  placed  for  them  in 
"  fetish  huts."  Among  the  Jalas  there  exists  a  kind  of 
magic  called  "  Jamkingo,"  which  is  practised  by  a  sort  of 
secret  society,  and  which  means  to  all  intents  and 
purposes  secret  poisoning.  Among  the  Gemi  tribe  the 
magicians  are  blacksmiths,  which  fact  calls  to  mind  the 
blacksmiths^  {jnesentui),  or  metal  workers,  who  assisted 
Horus  in  performing  the  ceremonies  connected  with  the 
resurrection  of  Osiris. 

The  Juju^  priests  of  New  Calabar  were  said  to  be 
able,  by  their  devilish  arts,  to  change  a  man's  face  and 
appearance  to  such  a  degree  that  his  mother  would  not 
recognize  him  ;  to  cause  a  tree  on  the  river  banks  to 
bend  its  trunk  and  lower  the  topmost  branches  so  that 
they  could  absorb  water  from  the  river  ;  to  take  upon 
themselves  the  form  of  birds  and  fly  away,  and  to  be 
able  to  disappear  at  pleasure.^  When  the  Juju  priest 
performed  a  ceremony  of  great  importance  he  wore 
nothing  but  "  a  superb  dark-coloured  and  greasy-looking 
"  rag  about  his  loins,  barely  sufficient  to  satisfy  the 
"  easiest-going  of  European  Lord  Chamberlains."*  This 
also  was  the  case  with  the  Kher  heb  magician  in  ancient 
Egypt,  for  when  performing  certain  of  the  ceremonies 
connected  with  the  "  Opening  of  the  Mouth  "  he  wore 
nothinof  but  a  loin  cloth. ^ 

Amono"  the  Masai  all  medicine-men  belong-  to  the 
Kidongi  family  of  the  Aiser  clan,  and  they  are  descended 
from  Ol-Oimooja,  or  E-Sigiriaishi,  the  sons  of  Ol-le- 
Mweiya.  They  have  four  methods  of  divining  :  (i)  By 
a  buffalo  or  ox  horn  and  a  handful  of  stones.  (2)  By 
examining  the  entrails  of  a  goat.  (3)  By  getting  drunk 
and  prophesying.  (4)  By  dreams.^  Among  the  Nandi 
the  Orkoiyot  or  principal  medicine-man  is  chief  of  the 

^  Ibid.,  Vol.  II,  p.  792. 

2  Derived  not  from  "joujou,"  as  is  commonly  supposed,  but  from  a 
local  West  African  word  "egugu,"  which  means  "idol,"  "sacred 
emblem." — Leonard,  Lower  Niger,  p.  115. 

3  Kingsley,   West  African  Studies,  p.  499. 
*  Ibid.,  p.  505. 

^  The  chief  Kapufi  was  not  allowed  to  wear  anything  but  a  single 
loin-cloth  of  the  plainest  cotton. — Thomson,  Central  African  Lakes, 
Vol.  II,  p.  221. 

^  HoUis,  The  Masai,  p.  325. 


1 86     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

whole  race.  His  methods  of  divining  are  similar  to 
those  of  the  Ol-oiboni,  or  medicine-man  of  the  Masai. 
He  can  interpret  omens  and  avert  ill  luck.  He  tells  the 
people  when  to  plant  their  crops,  he  obtains  rain  for 
them,  he  makes  women  and  cattle  fruitful,  and  the 
success  of  a  war  or  raid  depends  on  his  approval.  His 
approval  is  shown  when  he  gives  one  of  the  leaders  a 
club  which  has  been  smeared  with  a  concoction  called 
setanik,  and  this  club  is  carried  in  front  of  the  party. 
The  person  of  the  Orkoiyot  is  absolutely  sacred.  No 
one  may  approach  him  with  weapons  in  his  hand,  or 
speak  in  his  presence  unless  first  addressed  ;  his  head 
must  never  be  touched,  lest  his  powers  of  divination 
depart  from  him.  He  is  thought  to  be  able  to  detach 
his  head  from  his  body,  and  to  send  it  to  watch  his 
troops  wherever  they  may  be  engaged  in  fighting.  He 
never  prays  to  Asista,  but  only  to  the  spirits  of  his 
deceased  ancestors.  Besides  the  Orkoiyot  there  are 
two  classes  of  lesser  medicine-men,  one  of  whom  is 
called  Kipsakeiyot,  and  the  other  Kipungut.  The 
magicians  bewitch  people  by  "  catching "  their  foot- 
prints, or  by  means  of  portions  of  their  clothing  which 
they  have  worn,  or  a  bead,  or  by  their  hair,  nail  parings, 
teeth,  spittle,  or  anything  which  has  fallen  from  their 
bodies.  The  rain-makers  cause  rain  by  soaking  the 
root  kiptakchat  in  w^ater.^ 

Among  the  Gallas  the  magician  or  medicine-man 
has  great  power,  and  is  called  "  ogessa,"  i.e.,  "learned 
man,"  or  "  doctor  of  the  book."^ 

The  position  and  authority  of  the  magician  in 
Western  Africa  is  well  summarized  by  Wilson,  who 
says  that  the  person  who  has  a  knowledge  of  witchcraft 
is  supposed  to  possess  little  less  than  omnipotence.  He 
is  master  of  the  lives  and  destinies  of  his  fellow  men, 
and  of  sea  and  land,  and  of  the  elemental  forces  of 
nature,  and  of  the  wild  beasts  of  the  earth.  He  can 
change  himself  into  a  tiger,  elephant,  shark,  etc.,  and 
withhold  rain,  and  fill  the  land  with  want  and  distress 
and  pestilence.  He  can  cause  sickness,  poverty,  insanity, 
and  death.     The  art  of  witchcraft  may  be  exerted  with 

^  HoUis,  The  Nandi^  p.  52. 

2  Paulitschke,  Ethnographie,  Vol.  II,  p.  62. 


Magic,  White  and  Black  187 

or  without  any  material  agency  ;  the  wish  and  the  word 
of  the  magician  can  perform  anything.  No  one  knows 
the  source  of  his  power  ;  some  suppose  that  it  is  derived 
from  the  spirits,  and  others  believe  that  he  obtains  it  by 
eatino-  the  leaves  or  roots  of  a  forest  tree.^ 

The  art  of  the  magician,  or  medicine-man,  or  witch- 
doctor, is  employed  by  the  natives  in  every  event  of 
life,  and  is  used  publicly  and  privately.  Before  Mtesa 
went  to  war  the  priests  of  the  Musimu,  or  evil  spirits, 
about  one  hundred  in  number,  used  to  bring  the  war 
charms  for  him  to  touch  with  his  forefinorer.  These 
charms  consisted  of  dead  lizards,  bits  of  wood,  hide,  nails 
of  dead  people,  claws  of  animals,  beaks  of  birds,  with 
compounds  of  herbs  and  leaves  carefully  placed  in 
vessels  ornamented  with  beads.  During  the  fight  these 
magicians  chant  spells,  and  exhibit  their  "  medicines  "  to 
the  foe,  and  their  associates  shake  large  numbers  of 
gourds  filled  with  pebbles,  and  create  an  awful  din.^ 
Among  the  Garenganze  in  South-east  Africa  the  side 
that  is  beaten  at  once  acknowledges  that  the  medicines 
of  the  enemy  are  stronger  than  their  own.^  The  war- 
fetish  of  the  Batanga  is  a  spear  with  prongs,  which  is 
thrust  into  the  head  of  a  dead  man,  which  is  afterwards 
cut  off  from  its  body,  and  carried  to  the  house  of  the 
medicine-man.  Whilst  the  man  does  this  he  must  be 
naked.  The  spear  is  then  boiled  in  a  pot  with  some  of 
the  blood  of  a  cock,  and  several  magic  ingredients, 
including  the  human  head,  and  the  warriors  are  sprinkled 
with  some  of  the  water  from  the  pot.  A  mess  composed 
of  cock's  blood,  red-wood,  a  cock,  oil,  gourd  seeds, 
plantains,  etc.,  is  then  cooked  in  the  pot,  and  the 
medicine-man  and  the  warriors  eat  it.  The  warriors  are 
sponged  on  their  breasts,  and  are  then  ready  to  fight, 
feeling  assured  of  victory.  The  spear  is,  presumably, 
carried  before  them  as  they  march.  "^ 

Before  going  hunting  the  members  of  the  party  would 
fetch  a  medicine-man,  who  put  the  fat  of  zebra,  eland, 
and  other  game,  mixed  with  dirt,  in  a  pot.      Hot  coals 

^    Western  Africa,  p.  222. 

-  Stanley,  Through  the  Dark  Continent,  Vol.  I,  p.  327. 

^  Arnot,  in  Nassau,  Fetichisfn,  p.  175. 

^  Nassau,  op.  cit.,  p.  177  f. 


1 88     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

were  then  placed  on  the  fat,  and  clouds  of  dense  smoke 
arose.      Into    this    the   men   thrust  the  muzzles  of  their 
rifles  through  the  smoke,  and  sniffing  the  smoke  each 
called  on  the  hunting  spirit  Saru,  saying,  "  Saru,  I  must 
kill  game."     The  medicine-man  next  placed  a  bowl  of 
the  "  medicine  "  water  on  the  hunter's  head,  and  whilst 
the  latter  repeated  the  names  of  the  animals  he  wished 
to    kill,    the    former   stirred    the    water.       If  the    water 
splashed  over  and  ran  down  on  the  hunter's  face  success 
was  assured  to  him  ;  if  none  left  the  bowl  he  might  as 
well    g"0   home.       Amono-    the    Matabele   the  medicine- 
man  made  a  mark  with  medicine  water  on  the  forehead 
of  each  hunter,  and  this  gave   him   authority  ov^er  the 
beasts.     When  going  on  a  journey  a  travelling  fetish  is 
prepared.     This  is  a  spear  with   roots  of  a  sweet  herb 
tied  round  the  blade.     Wood  splinters  are  then  tied  to 
it  in  such  a  way  that  they  form  a  little  cage,  and  in  this 
are  placed  a  bit  of  human  skin,  bits  of  the  claws  of  a  lion 
or  leopard,  food,   beer,  and   magical   roots.     A   cloth   is 
sewn   over  the  cage,  and  when  the  king  has  spit  on  it 
and  blessed  it,  the  spear  is  ready  to  be  carried  before 
the  caravan.     The  human  skin  gives  power,  the  claws 
of  the  animals  protect  from   claws,    the  food  and   beer 
secure  a  supply  of  meat  and  drink,  and  the  roots  and 
the  king's  spittle  give  health  to  the  party.^     Success  in 
trade  is  obtained  by  mixing  with  water  the  brains  of  a 
dead  man   who  was  wise,  and   rubbing  the  mixture  on 
the  face  ;  brains  mixed  with  oil  are  also  rubbed  on  the 
hands.     Another  trade  medicine  is  made  by  putting  into 
an  antelope's  horn  the  ashes  of  the  skin  of  a  flying  fox, 
the  leaves  of  the  kota  tree,  the  nail  from  a  human  finger, 
the  tip  of  the  tongue,  menstrual  fluid,  red-wood  powder, 
and  the  tail  feathers  of  the  kilinga  bird.     The  mouth  of 
the  horn  is  closed  with  gum,  but  the  feathers  are  allowed 
to  project  through  the  gum.     When  about  to  trade  the 
owner  of  the  horn  secretly  pulls  out  a  feather,  and  rubs 
a  little  of  the  liquid  from  the  horn  on  the  tip  of  his  nose.^ 
The  native  merchant  who  is  in  a  hurry  to  get  rich  some- 
times employs  the  Okundu  medicine,  which  is  of  a  very 
terrible  character.      The  merchant  or    his  witch-doctor 

^  Ibid.^  p.  174. 
-  Ibid.,  p.  180. 


Magic,  White  and  Black  189 

kills  someone  in  order  that  his  spirit  may  be  set  free  to 
go  and  use  its  influence  on  the  merchant's  behalf  with 
the  white  men  with  whom  he  is  about  to  trade/ 

Modern  Africans  of  all  kinds,  like  the  ancient 
Egyptians,  firmly  believed  that  every  sickness  and  disease 
were  caused  by  some  evil  spirit,  either  as  a  punishment 
for  some  neglect  or  insult  to  it  on  the  part  of  the  stricken 
man,  or  as  the  result  of  the  machinations  of  some  witch- 
doctor. Dr.  Nassau  distinguishes  three  kinds  of  disease- 
causing  spirits,  viz.,  the  Nikinda,  Ombwiri,  and  Olaga. 
The  first  are  supposed  to  be  the  spirits  of  the  dead  who 
were  undistinguished  when  living,  the  second  the  spirits 
of  kings,  chiefs,  nobles,  etc.,  and  the  third  the  spirits  who 
had  been  raised  to  the  rank  of  angels  in  the  Spirit-world. 
In  treating  the  diseases  supposed  to  be  caused  by  these 
spirits  the  medicine-man  tries  to  find  out  from  the  patient 
which  kind  of  spirit  it  is  who  is  vexing  him,  and  when  he 
has  satisfied  himself  on  this  point  he  proceeds  to  concoct 
medicine  from  the  herbs  and  roots  which  are  suitable. 
The  three  classes  of  spirits  mentioned  above  are  probably 
the  equivalents  of  the  three  classes  of  beings  mentioned 
in  the  Egyptian  texts,  viz.,  the  henvtemet,  pat,  and  rekhit^ 
These,  apparently,  all  lived  in  heaven,  but  whether  the 
Egyptian  associated  them  with  causation  of  disease 
cannot  be  said. 

The  making  of  love-philtres  is  a  very  common 
occupation  of  the  witch-doctor,  to  whom  both  men  and 
women  apply  for  means  whereby  they  may  enjoy  the  love 
of  some  particular  person.  Many  men  and  women  make 
their  own  love-phlltres,  and  the  essential  in  most  of  them 
is  some  portion  of  the  body  of  the  woman  or  man,  from 
which  when  mixed  with  herbs  a  decoction  is  made,  to  be 
administered  In  some  form  or  other  to  the  person  whose 
love  is  wished  for.^  Sir  Harry  Johnston  has  given  us  a 
number  of  most  interesting  facts  about  the  witch-doctor's 
methods  in  various  parts  of  Africa.  The  Baluba 
magicians  say  they  can  make  themselves  invisible  by 
means  of  certain  charms,  and  once  invisible  they  Indulge 

1  Ibid.,  p.  181. 

^  For  full  descriptions  see  Nassau,  Fehchism,  p.  184  ff. 
VOL.  II.  O 


IQO     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

in  horrible  "ghouHsh  practices  or  in  disgusting  im- 
moralities." The  magician  fills  the  body  of  the  large 
Goliath  beetle,  or  a  small  horn,  with  small  human 
knuckle-bones,  and  scrapings  of  red  camwood.  He  puts 
this  in  his  mouth  and  becomes  invisible.  He  then  fills  a 
Tragelaphus  horn  with  magic  ingredients,  and  encloses 
this  in  the  very  long  pod  of  the  Kigelia  tree.  He  covers 
the  beetle  or  small  horn  with  charcoal  paste,  as  he  utters 
his  spell,  and  then  ties  the  pod  up  in  cloth.  He  then 
buries  the  magic  horn  in  a  hole  dug  in  front  of  the  door 
of  the  man  whom  he  wants  to  bewitch,  fills  the  hole  up, 
and  covers  it  with  twigs.  Immediately  the  inmate  of  the 
house  on  going  out  touches  one  of  the  twigs,  his  leg 
contracts,  his  sinews  shrivel,  and  he  falls  back  dying  on 
his  mat.  Or  the  magician  takes  straws  from  the  house 
and  path  of  the  victim,  and  throws  them  into  his  supply 
of  water ;  as  the  water  evaporates  the  victim  pines  away. 
Or  he  takes  grass  from  under  the  tree  which  has  often 
sheltered  his  victim,  and  binding  it  in  small  bundles 
hangs  them  up  in  his  house  ;  when  these  are  dry  his 
enemy  is  dead.  Or  he  makes  a  wooden  figure  of  his 
victim,  cuts  it  in  pieces,  which  he  throws  one  by  one  into 
boiling  water  ;  when  the  last  is  thrown  in  the  man  is 
dead.  The  Baluba  magician  also  asserts  that  he  can 
steal  a  man's  personality  from  him,  and  the  natives  are 
fully  convinced  that  their  souls  can  be  stolen  from  them.^ 
This  belief  was  common  among  the  ancient  Egyptians,  as 
we  have  already  shown.  Magicians  in  all  parts  of  Africa 
profess  to  be  able  to  drive  out  spirits  from  those  possessed, 
and  their  operations  are  everywhere  characterized  by 
noise,  dancing,  singing,  drumming,  and  feasting.  The 
story  of  the  casting  out  of  an  evil  spirit  from  the  daughter 
of  the  chief  of  Bekhten  by  the  priests  of  Khensu  proves 
that  the  ancient  Egyptian  priest  pretended  to  possess  the 
same  powers  as  the  modern  African  witch-doctor. 

The  wide-spread  belief  that  almost  every  death  is 
caused  by  witchcraft  gives  to  the  medicine-man  or  witch- 
doctor a  power  over  his  fellow  creatures  which  is  well-nigh 
absolute,  for  he  can  accuse  any  man  he  likes  of  causing 
the  death  of  another,  and  the  accused  person  is  forthwith 
put  to  death,  unless  he  is  willing  to  undergo  the  "ordeal 
^  Johnston,  George  Grenfell,  Vol.  II,  p.  660. 


Magic,  White  and  Black  191 

of  the  red-water."  The  "  red-water  "  is  a  decoction  of  the 
inner  bark  of  a  large  forest  tree  of  the  mimosa  family  ; 
it  is  reddish  in  colour,  and  has  an  astringent  taste,  and 
analysis  shows  that  it  is  both  an  astringent  and  a  narcotic, 
and,  when  taken  in  large  quantities,  an  emetic.  The 
accused,  with  a  cord  of  palm  leaves  only  about  his  waist, 
sits  near  the  pots  containing  the  red-water,  and  all  the 
people  gather  round  about  and  form  a  circle.  After  his 
accusation  has  been  pronounced,  he  makes  a  formal 
acknowledgment  of  all  the  evil  deeds  of  his  past  life  and, 
invoking  the  name  of  God  three  times,  calls  down  His 
wrath  upon  himself  if  he  is  guilty  of  the  crime  laid  to  his 
charge.  He  then  steps  forward  and  drinks  freely  of  the 
red-water  ;  if  it  produces  nausea  in  him,  and  causes  him 
to  vomit  freely,  he  is  at  once  declared  innocent.  If  it 
produces  vertigo,  and  he  loses  self-control,  he  is  regarded 
as  guilty,  and  the  people  fall  upon  him,  kick  him,  buffet 
him,  stone  him,  and  finally  drag  him  through  bushes  and 
over  rocks  until  he  is  practically  torn  to  pieces.  The 
man  who  is  declared  innocent  enjoys  a  higher  position  in 
society  than  he  did  before  the  ordeal,  and  a  few  days 
after,  dressed  in  his  finest  clothes,  he  progresses  with  his 
friends  in  triumph  through  the  village  or  town,  and 
receives  o-ifts  from  admirers  and  friends.  He  then 
arraigns  his  accusers  before  the  chief  men  of  the  place, 
and  they  must  either  undergo  the  ordeal,  or  pay  a  fine. 
The  natives  believe  that  red-water  itself  possesses 
intelligence,  and  that  it  is  capable  of  clear  discrimination 
in  all  doubtful  cases.^  They  think  that  when  it  enters  the 
stomach  it  at  once  lays  hold  of  the  element  of  witchcraft, 
and  destroys  the  life  of  the  accused.  The  quantity  of 
red-water  which  the  accused  is  made  to  drink  depends 
upon  the  popular  feeling  at  the  time  ;  if  he  is  "very  bad 
man,"  the  quantity  of  water  alone  is  sufficient  to  kill  him, 
to  say  nothing  of  the  extract  of  bark  in  it.  Sometimes 
the  accused  is  allowed  to  go  away  after  drinking  the 
usual  quantity,  and  then  he,  no  doubt,  takes  an  emetic, 
and  soon  becomes  well.     Or,  owing  to  family  influence, 

^  This  is  the  Nkasa  of  Western  Congo-land,  Mwavi  of  Nyasa-land, 
Chifafa  of  Luba-land,  Ibunu  of  the  Bateke,  Mbondi  or  Nka  of  the 
Upper  Congo,  Mondenge  of  the  lower  Aruwimi,  and  Samba  of  the 
Lokele. — Johnston,  George  Grenfell^  Vol.  II,  p.  689. 

O    2 


192     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

or  friendship,  the  witch-doctor  may  make  the  decoction 
very  weak,  which  is  certain  to  produce  nothing  but  nausea 
and  vomiting/  Du  Chaillu  saw  a  decoction  of  Mbundu 
leaves  administered,  and  "  the  poor  drinker  fell  down 
dead,  with  blood  gushing  from  his  mouth,  eyes,  and  nose, 
in  five  minutes  after  taking  the  dose."^  Messrs.  Joyce 
and  Torday  have  proved  that  the  poison  of  the  ordeal  is 
far  more  often  made  from  the  bark  or  roots  of  a  Strych7ios 
than  from  Erythrophlaeuin  quineense  of  Zambezia  and 
Nyasa-land.^  Many  other  ordeals  are  known  and 
practised,*  but  the  issue  of  each  is  practically  in  the 
hands  of  the  witch-doctor. 

In  several  parts  of  Africa  sand  plays  a  prominent 
part  in  magical  ceremonies.  In  connection  with  this  it 
may  be  noted  that  in  the  performance  of  the  ancient 
Egyptian  ceremony  of  Opening  the  Mouth,  the  statue 
of  the  deceased  was  placed  upon  a  small  mound  of 
sand,  with  its  face  towards  the  South, °  and  that  in  the 
CXXXVIIth  Chapter  of  the  Book  of  the  Dead,  a 
wholly  magical  Chapter,  the  Kher  heb  is  ordered  to  say  a 
formula  over  one  of  the  mud  bricks,  beginning :  "  I  am 
the  collar  (or,  field)  of  sand,  round  the  things  which 
are  hidden."^  Junker  relates  that,  when  in  Kordofan, 
he  came  across  a  native  who  divined  the  future  by 
means  of  sand.  The  seer  strewed  sand  smoothly  on 
the  ground,  and  then  made  various  marks  and  finger 
impressions  in  the  sand,  from  which  he  read  his  augury.^ 
Mr.  R.  G.  Anderson  says  that  the  Falatah  of  Kordofan 
still  have  recourse  to  sand-gazing,  but  that  they  use  it 
for  predicting  the  course,  treatment,  and  issue  of  an  illness, 

^  See  the  excellent  account  of  the  red-water  ordeal  in  Wilson, 
Western  Africa^  p.  224,  and  the  remarks  on  its  terrible  effects  on  the 
population  of  the  country  by  Nassau,  Fetichism,  p.  224.  See  also 
Bentley,  Pioneering  on  the  Congo,  Yo\.  I,  p.  276;  Winwood  Reade, 
Savage  Africa,  p.  215  (1864  edit.};  Leonard,  Lower  Niger,  p.  480. 

^  Adventures  in  Equatorial  Africa,  p.  257. 

^  Quoted  by  Johnston,  George  Grenfell,  Vol.  II,  p.  689. 

*  They   are   summarized   by   Johnston,    George   Gretifell,   Vol.    II, 

p.  692  f.  

t^-f"^  «^^^^  ^ 

Jf    I      V      I  ^' 


iii^^:,-AJP?5 


3    1 


^  Travels  in  Africa,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  417. 


Magic,  White  and  Black  193 

the  medium  being  a  small  boy  who  has  never  been 
bitten  by  a  dog  nor  burnt  in  the  fire.  The  boy  gazes 
on  the  word  "Allah"  in  the  centre  of  a  Khatim,  or 
seS.1,  traced  in  the  sand,  and  under  the  controlling  eye 
of  a  Fiki  calls  to  the  "  King  of  the  Devils,"  who,  on 
his  arrival,  will  answer  any  questions  put  regarding  the 
sick,  through  the  medium  of  the  child,  by  this  time 
sunk  into  a  trance.^  Among  the  Vai  and  Mandingo 
in  Liberia,  divination  by  means  of  sand  is  also  practised. 
The  sand  is  sifted  through  the  fingers  or  sprinkled  on 
the  ground,  and  the  magician  draws  his  conclusions  as 
to  the  future  from  the  forms  into  which  the  sand  falls. 
Sir  Harry  Johnston  says  that  sand  divination  is  practised 
throughout  Muhammadan  Africa,  from  the  Senegal  to 
the  Red  Sea,  and  from  Egypt  to  Nyasa.^  In  the  oldest 
form  of  sand  divination,  the  signs  used  were  triangles 
and  circles  and  lines  with  dots  made  inside  and  outside 
them  in  sand  on  the  desert  floor ;  from  the  combination 
of  dots  the  magician  made  his  augury.  In  the  next 
form  the  sand  was  scattered  by  hand,  and  the  augury 
was  derived  from  the  forms  which  it  assumed.  In  the 
Graeco-Roman  Period  the  triangles,  circles,  and  lines 
were  drawn  on  a  board,  and  counters  were  made  to 
take  the  place  of  the  dots  ;  in  this  form  it  passed  into 
use  among  the  Arabs  among  whom  the  Darb-al-raml, 
or  "striking  of  the  sand,"  is  a  common  means  used  in 
divining.^     Burton  saw  an  Arab  "sand  hoard"  {^aM^- 

^  Third  Report  of  the  Wellcome  Research  Laboratories,  1908,  p.  295. 

2  Liberia,  Vol.  II,  p.  1064. 

2  In  the  Golden  Silence,  by  C.  N.  and  A.  M.  Williamson,  London, 
1910,  we  read  that  the  lady  Leila  M'Barka  always  carried  about  with 
her  the  sand  which  she  used  in  divining.  It  came  from  TuggOrt,  and 
was  mixed  with  a  little  sand  from  Mekkah  (p.  260).  It  would  only 
yield  up  its  secret  in  star-light  (p.  266).  It  was  tied  up  in  green  silk, 
lined  with  a  very  old  Arab  brocade,  purple  and  gold,  and  was  in 
quantity  as  much  as  could  have  been  heaped  on  a  soup  plate.  The 
heroine  took  a  handful  and  held  it  over  her  heart,  and  framed  a  wish 
whilst  it  was  there,  and  then  sprinkled  it  over  the  rest.  M'Barka  trailed 
her  fingers  lightly  over  the  sand  until  she  had  made  three  long  wavy 
lines,  the  lower  ones  rather  like  telegraphic  dots  and  dashes.  The 
heroine  then  laid  her  forefinger  on  three  of  the  figures  in  the  lines,  and 
after  consulting  a  little  old  note-book  M'Barka  also  measured  spaces 
between  the  figures  the  girl  had  touched  and  counted  monotonously. 
And  having  uttered  her  prophecy  she  then  smoothed  away  the  tracings 
in  the  sand  (p.  273). 


194     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

al-raful)  in  use  in  Dahomey,  and  says  that  it  was  2  feet 
long,  8  inches  broad,  and  that  it  had  a  dove-tail  handle. 
On  one  side  of  it  were  sixteen  primary  figures,  called 
*'  mothers,"  and  on  the  other  sixteen  secondary  figures, 
called  "  children  "  ;  each  figure  was  in  an  oblong  of  cut  and 
blackened  lines,  and  at  the  top  were  circles,  squares,  etc. 
The  counters  were  thrown  on  the  board,  and  according 
to  the  positions  in  which  they  fell,  so  was  the  augury,^ 
Whether  the  ancient  Egyptians  used  sand  in  divining 
cannot  be  said,  but  there  seems  to  be  little  doubt  that 
they  regarded  it  in  the  light  of  a  substance  which 
possessed  magical  qualities.  They  were  probably  well 
acquainted  with  the  mighty  masses  of  sand  which  move 
from  north  to  south  and  from  south  to  north  in  the 
Western  Desert,  ruthlessly  burying  whole  villages  in  a 
few  hours,  and  they,  no  doubt,  believed  that  sand 
contained  a  spirit  which  had  to  be  propitiated.  At  all 
events,  it  is  impossible  to  think  that  they  could  have 
placed  the  statues  of  the  dead,  which  were  intended  to 
become  abodes  of  their  Doubles  (Kau),  upon  mounds 
of  sand  without  some  g-ood  traditional  reason. 

The  power  of  the  witch-doctor  is  exhibited  to  its 
fullest  extent  when  he  is  called  on  to  "smell  out"  the 
witch  in  a  community  in  which  a  man  of  importance 
has  died  suddenly  and  without  apparent  reason.  He  is 
often  fetched  from  a  great  distance,  and  when  he  has 
come  and  performed  his  magic,  and  has  declared  that 
such  and  such  a  man  has  witched  out  the  life  of  the 
dead  man,  no  earthly  power  can  save  the  accused  from 
a  cruel  death.  Du  Chaillu  has  vividly  described  the 
appearance  of  a  witch-doctor  who  came  to  find  out  who 
had  caused  Ishungui's  death,  and  he  says  that  he  never 
saw  a  more  ghastly  object.  He  had  on  a  high  head- 
dress of  black  feathers.  His  eyelids  were  painted  red, 
and  a  red  stripe  from  the  nose  upward  divided  his 
forehead  into  two  parts.  Another  red  stripe  passed 
round  his  head.  The  face  was  painted  white,  and  on 
each  side  of  his  mouth  were  two  round  red  spots. 
About  his  neck  hung-  a  necklace  of  grrass  and  also  a 
cord,  which  held  a  box  against  his  breast.     This  little 

^  See  Burton,  Alf  Laylah  wa   Laylah,  Vol.   Ill,   p.   269 ;   Burton, 
Mission  to  Gelele,  Vol.  I,  p.  332. 


Magic,  White  and  Black  195 

box  is  sacred  and  contains  spirits.  A  number  of  strips 
of  leopard  and  other  skins  crossed  his  breast,  and  were 
exposed  about  his  person  ;  and  all  these  were  charmed 
and  had  charms  attached  to  them.  From  each  shoulder 
down  to  his  hands  was  a  white  stripe,  and  one  hand 
was  painted  quite  white.  To  complete  this  horrible 
array,  he  wore  a  string  of  little  bells  around  his  body. 
He  sat  on  a  box  or  stool,  before  which  stood  another 
box  containing  charms.  On  this  stood  a  looking-glass, 
beside  which  lay  a  buffalo-horn  containing  some  black 
powder,  and  said,  in  addition,  to  be  the  refuge  of  many 
spirits.  He  had  a  little  basket  of  snake-bones,  which 
he  shook  frequently  during  his  incantations  ;  as  also 
several  skins  to  which  little  bells  were  attached.^  An 
official  medicine-man  seen  by  Mr.  Torday  had  a  tuft  of 
blood-red  feathers  on  his  head,  numerous  skins  about  his 
loins,  his  body  painted  with  white  ochre,  his  hands 
holding  three  spears,  a  whisk  made  of  an  antelope's  tail, 
an  axe,  and  an  executioner's  knife. ^  Baertand  Werner 
describes  the  dress  of  a  "  fetish  man  "  of  a  Mongwandi 
village  on  the  Dua- Ebola  River  thus  :  Two  or  three  red 
loin-cloths  woven  of  raphia  palm-fibre  encircle  his  thighs  ; 
bells,  feathers,  and  iron  bracelets  ornament  his  ankles  and 
wrists  ;  a  collar  of  white  feathers  surrounds  his  neck  ;  a 
score  more  large  feathers  of  various  colours  are  bound  in 
the  shape  of  a  tail  in  his  hair  ;  all  his  body  is  daubed  red, 
his  face  painted  white ;  his  hands  shake  little  bells. ^ 
There  is  no  proof  that  the  Kher  heb  magician  of  the 
ancient  Egyptians  ever  arrayed  himself  in  such  apparel 
as  that  described  above,  but  it  is  quite  possible  that 
the  magic-doctors  who  worked  magic  for  the  lower 
classes  of  the  people  dressed  themselves  in  a  fantastic 
fashion  in  order  to  impress  them  with  a  sense  of  their 
supernatural  powers,  and  to  awe  them.  The  bulk  of  the 
population  of  Egypt  must  always  have  been  devout 
believers  in  magic,  both  black  and  white,  and  their  belief, 
no  doubt,  found  expression  in  the  same  way  as  the  belief 
in  magic  of  the  modern  peoples  of  the  Sudan. 

^  Adventures  in  Equatorial  Africa,  p.  241. 

2  Torday,  in  Johnston,  George  Grenfell,  Vol.  II,  p.  661. 

'  Ibid.,  p.  663. 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

Fetishism. 

Various  writers  on  comparative  religion  have  described 
the  religion  of  the  ancient  Egyptians  as  "  fetishism," 
and  have  regarded  their  gods  as  "fetishes."  It  seems, 
however,  to  me  wholly  wrong  to  call  the  propitiatory 
ceremonies  which  they  performed  before  certain  of  their 
spirits,  and  the  worship  which  they  paid  to  certain 
sacred  animals,  and  even  the  worship  of  figures  of  the 
gods,  by  the  name  of  fetishism,  for  by  so  doing  they 
use  the  word  to  describe  forms  of  worship  to  which  it 
cannot  rightly  be  applied.  Neither  a  spirit,  nor  an 
animal,  nor  a  figure  of  a  god,  is  a  fetish,  for,  properly 
speaking,  "  a  fetish  is  something  tangible  and  inanimate, 
which  is  believed  to  possess  power  of  itself"^  The 
misuse  of  the  word  "  fetish "  practically  begins  with 
Bosman,  who  often  uses  it  in  his  "  Description  of 
Guinea."  In  one  place  he  says  :  "  Fetiche,  or  Bossum 
in  the  Negro  language,  derives  itself  from  their  false 
God,  which  they  call  Bossum,"  and  elsewhere  he  states 
that  "all  things  made  in  honour  of  their  false  gods, 
never  so  mean,  are  called  Fetiche."  De  Brosses,  a  later 
writer,  called  everything  worshipped  by  the  negroes  of 
West  Africa  "fetishes,"  and  their  system  of  worship 
"  fetishism,"  but,  as  Colonel  Ellis  has  shown,  he  mixed 
up  Animal  Worship  and  Nature  Worship  with  the  worship 
of  tangible  and  inanimate  objects,  and  termed  these 
three  distinct  forms  of  worship  "fetishism."  Both 
Bosman  and  De  Brosses  perpetuated  a  mistake  made  by 
the  early  Portuguese  travellers  to  West  Africa  who 
visited  that  country  between  1440  and  1500.  At  that 
time  their  native  country  was  filled  with  relics  of  saints, 
charmed  rosaries,  images,  crosses,  etc.,  which  were,  in 
the  majority  of  cases,  regarded  by  their  wearers  as 
amulets  or  charms.     Such  articles  were  termed  by  the 

^  Ellis,  Tshi-speaking  Peoples,  p.  178. 


Fetishism  197 

Tortuguese  /et^tfos,  and  a  manufacturer  or  seller  of  them 
was  termed  Si/ei^tfetro.  When,  therefore,  the  Portuguese 
found  the  natives  reverencing  or  worshipping  certain 
objects  such  as  those  tenanted  by  tutelary  deities  they 
naturally  spoke  of  them  as  the  feitigos  of  the  natives. 
They  had  no  other  word  commonly  in  use  with  which  to 
describe  charms,  or  that  which  they  supposed  the  natives 
to  regard  as  charms  or  amulets.  The  Portuguese  only 
applied  the  term  feitifo  to  tangible  and  inanimate 
objects,  and  to  the  wooden  figures,  stones,  and  cones  of 
earth  believed  by  the  natives  to  be  the  abiding-places  of 
indwelling  gods,  etc.  They  would  never  have  called  an 
iguana  difeitifo,  nor  the  local  spirit  of  a  hill  or  river,  etc. 
Since,  therefore,  a  feitico  is  only,  properly  speaking,  a 
tangible  and  inanimate  object,  fetishism  can  properly 
only  mean  the  worship  of  such  objects.  The  confusion 
which  has  resulted  from  the  improper  use  of  the  term 
fetish  is  extreme,  and  is  now  probably  irreparable.  The 
natives  never  worshipped,  and  do  not  now  worship, 
rocks  or  rivers,  but  the  gods  who  dwell  in  them  ;  and 
rocks,  rivers,  trees,  etc.,  are  only  reverenced  as  the 
abiding-places  of  gods.  True  fetishism,  i.e.,  the  worship 
of  tangible  and  inanimate  objects,  as  Colonel  Ellis 
rightly  says,  is  not  characteristic  of  primitive  peoples,  or 
of  races  low  in  the  scale  of  civilization.  It  is  only 
arrived  at  after  considerable  progress  has  been  made  in 
religious  ideas,  and  when  the  older  form  of  religion 
becomes  secondary.  It  owes  its  existence  to  the  con- 
fusion of  the  tangible  with  the  intangible,  of  the  material 
with  the  immaterial  ;  and  to  the  belief  in  the  indwelling 
god  being  gradually  lost  sight  of,  until  the  power, 
originally  believed  to  belong  to  the  god,  is  finally 
attributed  to  the  tangible  and  inanimate  object  itself.^ 

According  to  Major  A.  G.  Leonard  fetishism  and 
idolatry  are  the  two  chief  branches  of  the  main  channel 
of  ancestral  worship  which  forms  the  foundation  of 
naturism.^  The  spirit  or  deity  symbolized  in  any 
object,  be  it  tree,  stone,  animal,  etc.,  is  in  every  case  the 

^  Ellis,  op.  cit.,  p.  190.  And  compare  Nassau,  Fetichism,  p.  75  ; 
Wilson,  Western  Africa,  p.  211  ff.,  and  Frobenius,  T/u  Childhood  oj 
Man,  p.  182. 

2  The  Lower  Niger,  p.  114. 


198     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

personification  of  the  ancestor.^  In  the  Delta  of  the 
Niger  fetishes  and  idols  are  merely  religious  adjuncts 
that  have  grown  out  of  the  one  main  ancestral  idea.^ 
Material  forms  are  considered  by  the  native  to  be 
essential  for  all  ancestral  spirits  whose  services  are 
utilized  or  whose  memories  revered.  These,  to  them, 
constitute  the  great  and  radical  difference  between  those 
spirits  from  whom  human  treatment  may  be  expected, 
and  the  malignant  demons  who  wander  about  formless, 
always  ready  to  perpetrate  evil  and  evil  only.  It  is  in 
the  act  and  purpose  of  this  materialisation,  in  other 
words,  of  this  emblemism  of  spirits,  which  we  speak  of 
as  fetishism  and  idolatry,  that  much  misconstruction  has 
been  placed,  principally  by  missionaries  and  travellers, 
who,  althouo^h  their  own  Christian  reliction  has  been 
evolved  from  the  same  identical  germ,  and  on  somewhat 
similar  lines,  have  been  the  greatest  offenders  in  this 
respect.  Emblemism  is  merely  an  external  formula  of 
an  inner  cult  of  w^orship.^ 

Turning  now  to  the  ancient  Egyptian  religion,  it  may 
be  asked,  Was  there  fetishism  in  it  ?  and  if  so.  To  what 
extent?  If  we  compare  the  worship  or  reverence  paid 
by  the  Egyptians  to  the  spirits  of  certain  trees,  or  to  the 
spirit  of  the  Nile,  or  to  the  spirits  of  the  gods,  with  the 
worship  of  spirits  of  like  character  by  modern  African 
peoples,  we  find  its  theory  and  practice  to  be  identical. 
The  Egyptians  worshipped  their  ancestors,  whose  spirits 
they  located  in  statues  and  figures,  and  Nature-spirits  of 
all  kinds,  and  spirits  of  gods,  who  when  it  pleased  them 
took  up  their  abode  in  symbolic  figures,  in  living  animals, 
and  in  totems,  living  or  dead,  but  from  first  to  last  there 
is  no  evidence  whatsoever  that  they  worshipped  a  figure 
or  symbol,  whether  made  of  metal,  wood,  stone,  porce- 
lain, or  any  other  substance,  unless  they  believed  it 
to  be  the  abode  of  a  spirit  of  some  kind.  So  far  from 
fetishism  being  peculiarly  characteristic  of  the  Egyptian 
religion,  it  seems  to  me  that  this  religion,  at  all  events  in 
its  oldest  form,  was  remarkably  free  from  it.  There  is 
plenty  of  evidence  that  the  Egyptian  of  the  Middle  and 


^  Ibid.,  p.  115. 
2  Ibid.,  p.  116. 
2  Ibid.,  p.  278. 


Fetishism  199 

New  Kingdoms  did  not  know  what  many  of  the  sacred 
emblems  or  symbols  represented,  a  fact  which  is  clearly- 
proved  by  the  way  in  which  they  drew  them  on  papyri, 
or  fashioned  them  in  various  substances. 

Thus  in  the  case  of  the  symbol  •?-  a7ikh,  which  certainly 

means  "  life,"  the  Egyptians  do  not  appear  to  have  known 
what  object  the  picture  represented,  and  no  modern 
Egyptologist  has  satisfactorily  identified  it.     Again,  the 

Egyptians  associated  the  so-called  "  Buckle"  of  Isis,  R, 

with  the  blood  and  magical  words  of  power  of  that 
goddess,  and  they  believed  that  the  object  would  protect 
the  wearer  against  evil,^  but  there  is  no  evidence  that 
they  knew  in  late  times  what  object  it  symbolized.  The 
suggestion  that  the  picture  represents  a  buckle  or  belt 
has  nothing  to  recommend  it,  and  it  is  far  more  likely 

that  R  is  a  conventional  representation  of  some  member 

of  the  body  of  the    goddess   than    anything  else.^     Of 

the  tet,  u,  which  is  the  symbol  of  Osiris,  or  his  emblem, 

more  is  known.  The  text  of  the  CLVth  Chapter  of  the 
Book   of  the    Dead   associates   it   with   the    backbone, 

^^(^,    and    vertebrae,    ^^  y>   ,'    ^^  the  god,  and 

it    is  clear  that   h    is    a    conventional    representation    of 

a  part  of  his  spinal  column.  The  oldest  form  of  this 
part  was  probably  represented  by  the  symbol  ^,  which 
seems  to  represent  a  part  of  the  back  with  portions 
of  the  ribs  attached  to  it.  As  time  went  on  the  funerary 
artist  drew  a  stand  with  a  broadened  base  under  it,  and 

made   the  ribs  straight,  and  at  length  the  form  u  came 

into  being.     It  is  possible  that  when  the  Egyptians  had 

forgotten  what  objects  these  three  pictures,   -f-,  R,  and 

M,  symbolized,  and  only  remembered  that  the  first  gave 

1  Book  of  the  Dead,  Chapter  CLVI. 

2  gee  above,  p.  276  (Vol.  I). 


200     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

life,  and  the  second  the  virtue  of  the  blood  of  Isis,  and 
the  third  the  stability  of  the  backbone  of  Osiris,  the  god 
who  rose  from  the  dead,  the  lower  classes  and  the 
ignorant  came  to  regard  them  as  fetishes  in  the  true 
sense  of  the  word  ;  but  this  is  not  by  any  means  certain. 
There  is  no  evidence  that  the  Egyptians  ever  forgot 
that  figures  of  gods  and  sacred  animals  and  pictures, 
and  amulets  of  all  kinds,  were  the  permanent  or 
temporary  abiding-places  of  spirits,  who,  if  cherished, 
would  be  kind  and  helpful  to  them,  and  who,  if  slighted 

or  neglected,  would  do  them  harm.     The  u  and  the  H 

certainly  represent  the  ancestral  idea  which  seems  to 
me  to  have  been  the  root  of  the  cult  of  Osiris,  for,  as 
we  have  seen,  the  former  symbolizes  a  part  of  the  body 
of  Osiris,  himself  the  great  ancestor-god,  and  the  latter 
is  connected  with  the  womb,  that  is  to  say,  the  very  life 
of  Isis,  the  great  ancestress-goddess. 

Many  of  the  amulets  are  connected  with  the  bodies 
of  the  father-gods,  or  with  incidents  in  their  lives,  to 
reproduce  which  was  always  beneficial  to  the  dead,  and 
sometimes  to  the  living  also.  There  was,  no  doubt,  among 
the  Egyptians  a  class  of  men  who  were  conscious  or 
unconscious  impostors,  and  who  supplied  them  with 
charms,  or  amulets,  or  objects  which  were  supposed  to 
contain  powers  derived  from  familiar  spirits  over  which 
such  men  claimed  to  have  absolute  or  special  control.  Even 
in  such  cases  the  alleged  powers  must  have  been  assumed 
to  be  of  a  spiritual  character,  for  neither  buyer  nor  seller 
would  be  foolish  enough  to  imagine  that  a  piece  of 
carnelian,  or  a  bit  of  porcelain,  or  a  wooden  figure, 
would,  of  and  by  itself,  bring  protection  to  the  wearer. 
It  was  to  the  interest  of  both  that  the  amulet  or  charm 
should  contain  a  Spirit-power,  for  without  the  spirit  they 
were  "dead"  things.  The  natives  all  over  the  Sudan 
and  in  West  Africa  will  sell  the  traveller  dead  fetishes 
and  amulets,  but  they  will  not  willingly  part  with  those 
in  which  they  think  the  spirits  still  live.  Amulets  and 
charms  which  were  inherited  from  parents  or  relatives 
might,  of  course,  easily  become  fetishes,  just  as  they  do 
in  Africa  at  the  present  day,  in  which  case  the  possessors 
worshipped  them  for  themselves  alone.      On  the   other 


Fetishism  201 

hand,  the  present  possessor  might  think  that  the  Spirit- 
power  which  was  in  them  when  they  were  in  the  hands 
of  former  possessors  was  increased  by  the  addition  to 
it  of  the  Spirit-powers  of  such  possessors,  and  if  this 
were  so  he  would  regard  them  as  very  potent  objects. 
Wherever  we  find  fetishism  it  seems  to  be  a  corruption 
or  modification  of  some  former  system  of  worship  rather 
than  the  result  of  a  primitive  faith.  The  worship  of  the 
Sun-god  Ra  which  was  introduced  into  Egypt  by  the 
priests  of  Heliopolis  was,  no  doubt,  adopted  by  the 
upper  classes  of  the  Egyptians,  but  the  masses  never 
forsook  their  cult  of  the  spirits  who  dwelt  in  ancestral 
figures,  sacred  animals,  amulets,  and  totems  living  or 
dead.  Similarly  the  cult  of  Aten,  which  was  rejected 
even  by  the  priesthood,  made  no  impression  on  the 
Egyptians  of  the  lower  classes,  and  the  only  effect  it 
could  have  upon  them  would  be  to  make  them  cling 
closer  to  their  belief  in  the  great  ancestor-god  Osiris. 
In  cases  where  their  priests  adopted  the  cult  of  the  sun 
under  any  form,  and  therefore  ceased  to  teach  the 
doctrine  of  the  in-dwelling  spirit  in  ancestral  figures,  etc., 
the  people  might  forget  the  doctrine,  and  their  ancestral 
figures,  amulets,  etc.,  would  then  degenerate  into 
fetishes. 

All  this  is  only  theory  so  far  as  the  Egyptians  are 
concerned,  but  authorities  on  modern  African  religions 
tell  us  that  this  is  exactly  what  has  taken  place  among 
the  peoples  of  West  Africa.  Thus  Colonel  Ellis  says 
that  there  is  more  fetishism  among  the  negroes  of  the 
West  Indies,  who  have  been  Christianized  for  more  than 
half  a  century,  than  amongst  those  of  West  Africa  ;  for 
side  by  side  with  the  new  religion  have  lingered  the  old 
superstitions,  whose  true  import  has  become  forgotten 
or  corrupted.  Hence  the  belief  in  Obeah,  still  prevalent 
in  the  West  Indies,  which  formerly  was  a  belief  in  in- 
dwelling spirits  which  inhabited  certain  objects,  has  now 
become  a  reverence  or  worship  paid  to  tangible  and 
inanimate  objects,  which  of  themselves  are  believed  to 
possess  the  power  to  injure.^  Dr.  Nassau  says  that  the 
West  African  accepted  baptism  as  a  powerful  charm. 
For  each  and  all  of  his  heathen  fetishes  the  Christian 
^  Ellis,  Tshi-speaking  Peoples,  p.  193. 


202     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection  ' 

I 
priest  simply  substituted  a  relic.     The  ignorant  African,         j 
while  he  learned   to  bow   to  the  Virgin,  kept  on  wor-        i 
shipping  also  a  fetish.     The  Virgin  was  only  just  another 
fetish,  and  Christian  priests  only  another  set  of  powerful 
fetish-doctors.       The  heathen   in   becoming  a    baptized 
"  Christian  "  left  behind  him  only  the  names  of  his  fetish 
ceremonies.     Some  new  and  professedly  more  powerful        ^ 
ones  were  given    him,   which  were  called  by  Christian 
names,   but    which  very  much    resembled  what  he  had         j 
been  using  all   his  life.      His   "conversion"   caused  no 
jar  to  his  old  beliefs,  nor  change  in  its  practice,  except 
that  the  new  fetish  was  worshipped  in  a  cathedral,  and 
before  a  bedizened  altar.^ 

^  Fetichism  in  West  Africa,  p.  212. 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

Spitting  as  a  Religious  Act. 

The  ancient  Egyptian  texts  contain  many  allusions  to 
spitting,  and  whether  employed  in  blessing  or  banning 
it  was  certainly  regarded  as  a  religious  act  of  no  small 
significance.  Under  certain  circumstances  it  was  con- 
sidered  to  be  a  creative  act.  Thus  when,  according  to 
a  legend  which  is  as  old  at  least  as  the  Pyramids,  the 
god  Tem  had  had  union  with  himself  he  spat,  and  his 
spittle  was  the  gods  Shu  and  Tefnut  ;  he  then  placed 
his  arms  round  them,  and  his  Ka,  or  Double,  entered 
into  them.^  This  legend  is  repeated  in  the  Papyrus  of 
Nesi-Amsu,^  and,  no  doubt,  was  accepted  in  the 
Ptolemaic  and  Roman  periods.  In  the  XVI I th  Chapter 
of  the  Book  of  the  Dead  we  read  that  the  Eye  of  Ra, 
i.e.,  the  Sun,  was  seriously  injured  by  a  violent  assault 
made  upon  it  by  Set,  but  Thoth  came  forward,  and, 
having  spit  upon  the  Eye,  the  trouble  disappeared,  and 
the  Eye  soon  recovered.^  In  this  case  spitting  was 
used  as  a  curative  act.  From  a  book  of  magic  we 
learn  that  spitting  was  sometimes  made  an  act  of  cursing. 
Thus  in  the  Book  of  Overthrowing  Apep  we  have  a 
Chapter  entitled  "  Of  spitting  upon  Apep,"  and  its 
opening  words  are  :  "  Be  spit  upon,  Apep,"  which  are  to 
be  said  four  times.  When  the  wax  figure  of  Apep  was 
cast  into  the  fire  the  priest  spat  upon  it  as  it  burned, 
and  then  trampled  upon  it  with  his  left  foot.  On 
another  occasion  the  priest  said  :   "  Look   thou,  Ra,  hear 


1. 663. 

^  See  Budge,  Egyptian  Hieratic  Papyri^  p.  XIV. 


f:;:''! 


204     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

"  thou,  Ra,  verily  I  have  destroyed  thine  enemy,  I  have 
"  trampled  upon  him,  I  have  spit  upon  him."  The  case 
in  which  the  wax  figure  was  sometimes  burnt  was, 
according  to  the  Rubric,  "to  be  stamped  on  with  the 
"  left  foot,  and  spit  upon  four  times  in  the  course  of  every 
"  day."  In  this  case  spitting  is  an  act  of  banning.  The 
following  illustrates  the  use  of  spitting  as  a  curative  act. 
In  Kordofan  the  operator  kneels  over  the  outstretched 
patient,  and  after  making  a  silent  prayer  he  reads  aloud 
the  opening  Surah  of  the  Kuran,  and  then  spits  over 
the  body  three  times ;  having  said  Amin  (Amen)  he 
rises  to  his  feet.  Descendants  of  the  Prophet  possess 
the  powers  of  curing  by  spitting,  but  holy  men  in 
general  have  them.  And  any  human  spittle  is  supposed 
to  contain  curative  properties.  Sometimes  the  saliva  is 
mixed  with  sand  and  is  applied  to  the  nostrils,  eyes,  and 
forehead  of  the  sufferer,  and  at  other  times  it  is  mixed  with 
water  and  carried  to  the  bed-ridden  as  a  remedy.  Roots 
are  often  chewed  to  a  pulp  in  the  mouth  and  then 
applied  to  the  nostrils.^  Spitting  has  many  significations 
in  the  Sudan  generally,  and  the  universality  of  the 
custom  is  proved  by  the  following  remarks  of  travellers. 

Schweinfurth  says  that  spitting  betokens  the  most 
affectionate  goodwill.  Among  the  Dyur  it  was  a  pledge 
of  attachment,  an  oath  of  fidelity  ;  it  was  to  their  mind 
the  proper  way  of  giving  solemnity  to  a  league  of  friend- 
ship.^ The  chief  of  the  Jangaes  gave  Petherick  a  goat, 
requesting  that  he  would  spit  in  the  hand  of  his  son, 
expressing  a  belief  that  if  he  did  so  his  son  would  be 
enabled  to  throw  a  spear  with  power.  Petherick 
cordially  did  so  amid  the  acclamations  of  the  tribe,  and 
the  youth  received  the  congratulations  of  all.^  Among 
the  Barotze  relatives  take  leave  of  each  other  with 
elaborate  ceremony.  They  spit  upon  each  other's  faces 
and  hands,  or,  rather,  pretend  to  do  so,  for  they  do  not 
actually  emit  saliva.  They  also  pick  up  blades  of  grass, 
spit  upon  them,  and  stick  them  about  the  beloved  head. 
They  also  spit  on  the  hands  ;  all  this  is  done  to  warn  off 
evil  spirits.     Spittle  also  acts  as  a  kind  of  tabu.     When 

^  R.  G.  Anderson,  op.  cit,  p.  294. 
2  Heart  of  Africa^  Vol.  I,  p.  205. 
2  Travels  in  Central  Africa^  Vol.  I,  p.  105. 


Spitting  as  a  Religious  Act  205 

they  do  not  want  a  thing  touched,  they  spit  on  straws 
and  stick  them  all  about  the  object.^     Among  the  Bantu 
when  the  priest  introduces  the   newly  born   child   to  the 
ancestral  spirits,  he  spits  on  it  as  he  makes  each  petition 
on    its    behalf.^      The     Masai    formerly   attached    much 
importance  to  the  act  of  spitting,  and  among  them  and 
the  tribes  of  the   Nandi  and   Suk  to  spit  at  a  person  is 
a  very  great   compliment.      When  the   Masai  came  to 
Sir  Harry  Johnston,  each  of  them  before  extending  his 
hand    to    him    would    spit   on    the    palm.      Before    they 
entered  his  house   they   would  spit  to   the   north,   east, 
south,  and   west.      Every   unknown  object  which    they 
regarded  with  reverence,  such  as  a  train,  they  would  spit 
at.      Newly  born  children  are  spit  on  by  every  one  who 
sees    them.^      The   people   of    the    Kytch   tribe    return 
thanks  by  holding  your  hand  and  affecting  to  spit  upon 
it  ;    which    operation    they   do  not  actually  perform,   as 
I  have  seen  stated  in  works  on  the  White  Nile.*     Before 
parting  a  ceremony  had   to  be  performed   by  Katchiba. 
His  brother  was  to  be  our  guide,  and  he  was  to  receive 
power  to  control  the  elements  as  deputy-magician  during 
the  journey,  lest  we  should  be  wetted  by  the  storms,  and 
the  torrents  should  be   so  swollen  as  to  be  impassable. 
With  great  solemnity    Katchiba    broke  a    branch    from 
a  tree,   upon   the   leaves  of    which   he  spat    in    several 
places.     This  branch,  thus  blessed  with  holy  water,  was 
laid  upon  the  ground,  and  a  fowl  was  dragged  about  it 
by    the   chief.       Katchiba   handed    the    branch    to    his 
brother,  who  received  it  with  much   dignity,  in  addition 
to  a  magic  whistle  of  antelope's  horn  which  he  suspended 
from  his  neck.     Every  native  had  a  whistle,  with  which 
he  could  attract  or  drive  away  rain   at  pleasure.      No> 
whistle  was  supposed  to  be  effective  unless  it  had  been 
blessed  by  Katchiba.^     One  day  Speke  went  out  shoot- 
ing, but  though  he  fired  at  several  animals  he  failed  to 
kill  any  of  them.     All  his  men   were  surprised,  and  the 

^  Nassau,  Fetichism  in  West  Africa,  p.  213;  Decle,    Three    Years, 

P-  77- 

^  Johnston,  Uganda,  Vol.  I,  p.  587. 
3  Idid.,  p.  833. 

*  Baker,  Albert  N'yanza,  p.  48. 
^  Baker,  Albert  N^yanza,  p.  211, 
VOL.  II.  P 


2o6     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

villagers  who  were  escorting  him  in  the  hope  of  getting 
flesh,  were  so  much  annoyed  that  they  offered  to  cut  his 
forefinger  with  a  spear  and  spit  on  it  for  good  luck.^ 
When  Rebmann  was  leaving  a  chief,  he  and  the  Wanika 
and  Suahili  were  favoured  with  "dirty  expectoration" 
by  the  natives  as  a  sign  of  farewell,  and  then  they  were 
told  to  "  go  in  peace."^  When  Miss  Kingsley  said 
farewell  to  a  woman  whom  she  visited,  the  old  lady  took 
her  hand,  turned  it  palm  upwards,  and  spat  upon  it. 
She  consulted  Dr.  Nassau  on  the  subject,  and  he  told 
her  that  the  spitting  was  a  by-product  of  the  performance 
which  consisted  in  blowing  a  blessing.*^ 

Thomson  says  :  Spitting  has  a  very  different  signifi- 
cation with  the  Masai  from  that  which  prevails  with  us 
or  with  most  other  tribes.  With  them  it  expresses  the 
greatest  goodwill  and  the  best  of  wishes.  It  takes  the 
place  of  compliments  of  the  season,  and  you  had  better 
spit  upon  a  damsel  than  kiss  her.  You  spit  when  you 
meet,  and  you  do  the  same  on  leaving.  You  seal  your 
bargain  in  a  similar  manner.  The  Masai  flocked  to  me, 
and  the  more  copiously  I  spat  upon  them,  the  greater 
was  their  delight  ,  .  .  How  could  I,  for  instance,  resist 
the  upturned  face  of  a  young  unmarried  woman,  as  with 
her  bright  eyes  she  would  look  the  wish  she  longed  to 
utter.  And  what  better  reward  could  I  have  than  the 
delighted  glance  of  the  nut-brown  maid  when  I  expec- 
torated upon  the  little  snub  nose  so  eagerly  and  piquantly 
presented  P"^  Among  the  works  of  the  European 
travellers  to  Africa  in  the  seventeenth  century  which 
mention  spitting  may  be  noticed  Claude  Jannequin's 
Voyage  to  Lybia  in  1697,  p.  'XtZ- 

The  Wearing  of  Tails  by  Men  and  Women. 

Everyone  who  has  examined  the  bas-reliefs  in 
Egyptian  temples,  and  the  coloured  vignettes  in  papyri 
containing  copies  of  the  Book  of  the  Dead,  cannot  have 
failed  to  notice   that   gods    and  kings  are   often  repre- 

^  Journal  of  the  Discovery,  p.  462. 
2  Krapf,  Travels,  p.  262. 
2  Travels  in  West  Africa,  p.  288. 
*  Through  Masai  Land,  p.  290. 


spitting  as  a  Religious  Act  207 

sented  wearing  very  long  tails,  with  an  elongated  tuft  at 
the  end.  And  if  we  look  at  the  statues  of  kings  we 
shall  find  that  in  many  of  them  also  the  tail  is  repre- 
sented, especially  in  seated  statues.  In  the  case  of  the 
seated  statues  of  Amen-hetep  III  in  the  British  Museum/ 
the  tails  are  supposed  to  have  been  brought  under  the 
body,  and  parts  of  them,  with  the  tufts,  will  be  seen 
sculptured  on  the  flat  surfaces  between  the  legs.  In 
reliefs  the  tail  is  attached  to  the  girdle  and  tunic,  or  loin- 
cloth, of  which  it  probably,  at  one  time,  formed  part. 
In  primitive  times  gods,  kings,  and  magic-doctors,  all 
over  the  Sudan  and  in  other  parts  of  Africa,  wore  the 
skins  of  animals  when  they  were  performing  solemn 
ceremonies,  and  the  tails  of  such  skins  hung  down 
behind  them  ;  the  tail  in  the  Egyptian  bas-relief  and  in 
the  vig-nette  is  a  survival  of  this  ancient  skin  dress. 
The  god  Thoth  was  incarnate  in  the  ibis,  and  Horus 
in  the  hawk,  yet  the  Egyptians  saw  nothing  unusual  in 
representing  the  former  as  an  ibis-headed  man  wearing 
a  long  tail,  and  the  latter  as  a  hawk-headed  man  wearing 
a  long  tail.^  Animal  gods,  e.g.,  the  Jackal-god  Anubis, 
when  represented  with  a  human  body,  are  also  given 
tails.  The  custom  of  wearing  a  tail  has  passed  down 
the  ages  from  the  primitive  to  the  modern  African 
peoples,  who,  as  will  be  seen  from  the  following  extracts, 
attach  considerable  importance  to  it. 

The  Bongo  men  and  women  wear  girdles,  the  former 
adding  a  strip  of  stuff  which  they  fasten  to  the  girdle, 
allowing  the  ends  to  fall  down  before  and  behind.  The 
latter  attach  to  the  girdle  a  supple  bough  with  plenty  of 
leaves,  and  perhaps  a  bunch  of  grass.  Now  and  then 
a  tail,  like  a  black  horse-tail,  composed  of  the  bast  ot 
the  Sanseviera,  is  appended  to  the  back  of  the  girdle.'^ 
The  usual  costume  of  the  Niam-Niam  is  formed  of  skins 
which  are  fastened  to  the  girdle  and  form  a  picturesque 
drapery  about  the  loins.  The  finest  and  most  varie- 
gated skins  are  chosen  for  this  purpose,  those  of  the 
genet  and  colobus  being  held  in  the  highest  estimation  ; 
the    long    black    tail    of  the    quereza   monkey  is    also 

^  Nos,  412,  413. 

2  See  the  Judgment  Scene  in  the  Papyrus  of  Ani. 

2  Schweinfurth,  Heart  of  Africa,  Vol.  I,  p.  294. 

P    2 


2o8     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

fastened  to  the  dress. ^  Escaryac  de  Lanture  was  told 
of  the  existence  of  Lake  Koeidabo,  to  the  west  of  which 
lived  the  Mala-gilageh,  or  men  with  tails  ;  they  were  of 
small  stature  and  reddish  complexions,  and  covered  with 
long  hair.^  The  dress  of  the  Moro  women  is  of  the 
scantiest  description,  and  consists  of  a  plaited  wisp  of 
straw  of  the  strictest  economical  dimensions,  and  is 
drawn  up  between  the  legs  and  attached  to  a  slender 
waist-belt.  This  also  sustains  at  the  back  a  bunch  of 
green  leaves,  about  the  size  and  shape  of  the  tail  of  an 
ostrich,  which  gives  the  wearer  a  jaunty  appearance.^ 
The  men  of  Uregga  wear  skins  of  civet  and  monkeys, 
with  the  tails  hanging  downwards."*  Among  the  Bantu 
negroes  both  sexes  usually  wear  a  waist-belt  of  beads, 
and  the  married  women  who  have  borne  children  wear 
a  lower  string  of  beads,  to  which  is  attached  a  tiny  little 
apron  of  leather  embroidered  with  beads,  and  also  a 
long  tail  made  of  strings  of  fibre  derived  from  a  marsh 
plant.  The  tiny  apron  in  front  is  sometimes  made  of 
short  strings  of  the  same  fibre,  instead  of  being  a  piece 
of  leather  sewn  with  beads.  Very  great  importance  is 
attached  to  this  tiny  square  of  fibre  or  beadwork,  and  to 
the  tail  behind.  If  a  man  of  the  same  tribe  should 
touch  this,  the  only  covering  worn  by  a  married  woman, 
a  great  offence  has  been  committed,  even  if  the  man  be 
the  woman's  husband.  Unless  the  sacrifice  of  a  goat 
is  made  it  is  thought  that  the  woman  will  die  of  the 
insult.  If,  however,  these  coverings  are  touched  or  torn 
off  by  an  enemy  or  a  stranger  no  harm  is  done.^  Among 
the  Nilotic  negroes,  when  a  woman  is  married  she  puts 
on  a  tail  of  strings.  After  marriage  it  is  considered 
very  bad  manners  for  a  woman  to  serve  food  to  her 
husband  without  putting  on  this  tail.  On  the  other 
hand,  if  the  husband  or  any  other  man  should  touch  the 
married  woman's  tail,  it  is  considered  that  he  wishes  to 
bewitch  her,  and  such  an  offence  must  be  atoned  for  by 

1  Ibid.,  Vol.  II,  p.  6. 

2  Ibid.,  Vol.  II,   p.   137  ;    see   also  Frobenius,  Die  Heiden-Neger^ 

P-  385- 

^  Petherick,  Travels  in  Central  Africa,  p.  277. 

*  Frobenius,  Die  Heiden-Neger,  p.  146. 

*  Johnston,  Uganda,  Vol.  II,  p.  728. 


Spitting  as  a  Religious  Act  209 

the  usual  sacrifice  of  a  goat/  As  a  sign  of  mourning  a 
black  tail,  fringed  with  white  strings,  is  worn  for  about 
a  month. ^  The  women  of  the  Shir  and  Kytch  tribes 
wear  small  lappets  of  tanned  leather  as  broad  as  the 
hand.  At  the  back  of  the  belt,  which  supports  this 
apron,  is  a  tail  which  reaches  to  the  lower  portions  of 
the  thighs.  This  tail  is  formed  of  finely  cut  strips  of 
leather,  and  the  costume  has  doubtless  been  the  founda- 
tion for  the  report  I  had  received  from  the  Arabs  that 
"a  tribe  in  Central  Africa  had  tails  like  horses."^  The 
Bari  women  wear  a  neat  little  lappet,  about  six  inches 
long,  of  beads,  or  of  small  iron  rings  worked  like  a  coat 
of  mail,  in  lieu  of  a  fig-leaf,  and  the  usual  tail  of  fine 
shreds  of  leather  or  twine,  spun  from  indigenous  cotton, 
pendent  behind.  Both  the  lappet  and  tail  are  fastened 
on  a  belt  which  is  worn  round  the  loins,  like  those  of 
the  Shir  tribe  ;  thus  the  toilette  is  completed  at  once.* 
The  Latuka  women  wear  exceedingly  long  tails, 
precisely  like  those  of  horses,  but  made  of  fine  twine  and 
rubbed  with  red  ochre  and  grease.^  The  Yergum  on 
the  Niger  told  Mr.  Boyd  Alexander  that  the  Gazum 
people  have  tails  about  six  inches  long,  for  which  they 
have  to  dig  a  hole  in  the  ground  when  they  sit  down, 
a  statement  which  he  doubted.^  The  Wahele  women 
who  can  afford  it  dress  almost  entirely  in  beads,  wearing 
innumerable  strings  round  their  loins.  Nothing  else  is 
worn  in  front,  while  behind  it  would  be  considered 
indecent  to  appear  without  a  piece  of  hide  ornamented 
with  beads,  and  cut  away  so  as  to  resemble  a  tail.''' 
The  Wakavirondo  also  make  tails  for  themselves  of 
grass  or  fibre. ^ 

^  Ibid.,  p.  783. 

2  Ibid.,  p.  793. 

2  Baker,  Albert  N'yatiza,  p.  54. 

^  Ibid.,  p.  59. 

5  Ibid.,  p.  135. 

^  From  the  Niger  to  the  Nile,  p.  78. 

^  J.  Thomson,  To  the  Central  African  lakes,  p.  218. 

^  Hattersley,  The  Baganda  at  Home,  p.  144. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

I.   Illness  Caused  by  an  Offended  Deity. 

It  has  already  been  shown  that  the  Egyptians  believed 
that  sicknesses  were  caused  by  spirits,  good  or  bad,  and 
that  the  modern  Africans  hold  a  similar  belief.  The 
sickness  may  be  a  punishment  inflicted  on  a  human  being 
by  an  offended  or  outraged  deity,  or  may  be  caused  by  a 
minor  evil  spirit  who  has  been  induced  to  cause  it  by  the 
operations  of  a  magician,  or  witch-doctor.  As  an  example 
of  the  belief  that  a  sickness  was  caused  by  the  anger  of  a 
deity  may  be  quoted  the  following  : — A  stele  at  Turin^ 
which  was  made  for  one  Nefer-Aabu  bears  a  text  in 
which  the  deceased  confesses  the  sins  which  he  committed 
against  the  goddess  Mer-sekert,^  who  was  called  Teheni- 
Amenti,^  the  "  Forehead  of  Amenti,"  and  whose  shrine 
was  situated  near  the  Ramesseum  at  Thebes.  "Whilst 
"  I  was  on  earth,"  he  says,  "  I  was  an  ignorant  and  a 
"  senseless  man,  knowing  neither  good  nor  bad,  and  I 
"  transgressed  against  Teheni.  And  she  corrected  me, 
"  and  I  was  in  her  hand  both  by  night  and  by  day,  and 
"  I  sat  upon  the  tiles  like  a  woman  who  is  with  child.  I 
"  cried  out  for  air  (or,  breath)  but  none  came  to  me,  for 
"  I  was  fast  bound  by  Teheni- Amentet,  the  strongest  of 
"  all  the  gods,  the  goddess  of  the  city.  Behold,  I  say  to 
"  everyone,  great  and  small,  among  the  officials.  Take 
"  good  heed  to  Teheni,  for  there  is  a  lion  inside  her, 
"  and  it  smiteth  like  a  savage  lion,  and  she  pursueth 
"  whosoever  sinneth  against  her.  Then  I  cried  out  to 
"  my  Lady,  and  she  came  to  me  in  the  form  of  sweet  air, 
"  she  made  peace  with  me,  and  she  made  me  to  perceive 
"  her  hand,  she  came  back  to  me  with  feelings  of  peace, 

^  No.  I02.     Published  by  Lanzone,  Dizionario,  Plate  CXXV;and 
see  Maspero,  Bibl.  ^gyptoL,  torn.  II,  p.  405. 

<zr>  s  ^^  21  (La  raw®      I"  c^^ 


Illness  Caused  by  Spirit  of  Wife  211 

"  she  made  me  to  forget  my  suffering,  and  I  had  air  to 
"  breathe.  Now  Teheni-Amentet  maketh  peace  with 
"  him  that  crieth  out  to  her,  and  Nefer-aabu  saith : 
"  Behold,  listen,  O  all  ye  ears  which  are  upon  the  earth 
**  — take  good  heed  to  Teheni-Amentet."  The  stele  on 
which  this  text  is  found  was,  no  doubt,  set  up  by  a  man 
who,  when  suffering  from  bronchitis  or  asthma,  or  both 
together,  went  to  the  shrine  of  the  goddess,  and,  con- 
fessing his  sins,  implored  her  forgiveness  and  help.  The 
goddess  answered  him  graciously,  and  came  to  him  in  the 
form  of  air,  i.e.,  she  gave  him  power  to  breathe  easily, 
and  in  grateful  remembrance  of  her  help,  he  had  an 
account  of  his  cure  written  and  set  up  near  her  shrine  for 
all  to  see. 

2.  Illness  Caused  by  the  Spirit  of  a  Dead  Wife. 

A  papyrus  at  Leyden,  published  by  Maspero,^  sup- 
plies some  very  interesting  information  on  the  causation 
of  sickness  by  spirits.  This  document  contains  a  copy  of 
a  letter  which  was  written  by  a  widower  to  the  spirit  of 
his  deceased  wife,  and  placed  by  him  on  a  sepulchral 
figure.  In  it  he  says  :  "  What  harm  did  I  ever  do  to 
'*  thee  that  I  should  come  to  the  terrible  plight  I  am  in? 
"  What  harm  have  I  done  to  thee  that  thou  shouldst  lay 
"  thine  hand  upon  me,  seeing  that  no  evil  hath  been  done 
"  to  thee  ?  From  the  time  when  we  were  married  have 
"  I  ever  hidden  anything  from  thee  ?  Thou  didst 
"  become  my  wife  when  I  was  a  young  man,  and  I  have 
"  lived  with  thee  ever  since.  Though  I  was  promoted 
"  to  dignities  of  all  kinds  I  still  lived  with  thee,  and  I 
"  never  left  thee,  nor  did  I  cause  thy  heart  any  pain. 
"  When  I  was  set  over  the  soldiers  of  Pharaoh  and  the 
"  men  who  followed  his  chariot,  did  I  not  cause  thee  to 
"  come  so  that  they  might  do  homage  to  thee,  and  did 
"  not  they  give  thee  beautiful  gifts  of  all  kinds  ?  When 
"  thou  wast  ill  I  went  to  the  chief  physician,  and  he  did 
"  for  thee  everything  which  thou  saidst  he  ought  to  do. 
"  When  I  went  with  Pharaoh  to  the  Sudan  I  was 
"  thinking  the  whole  time  of  thee,  and  I  passed  the  eight 
"  months  which  the  expedition  lasted  without  desire  to 

^  J&tudes  Egypt.,  torn.  I,  p.  145  ff. 


212     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

"  eat  or  to  drink  because  of  thee.  When  I  came  back 
*'  to  Memphis  I  asked  leave  of  Pharaoh,  and  I  returned 
"  at  once  to  thee,  and  I  and  my  people  mourned  for  thee 
"  before  my  house.  I  made  funerary  apparel  for  thee,  and 
"  linen  swathings,  and  provided  an  abundant  supply  of 
"  offerings."  The  concluding  words  of  this  extraordinary 
document  are  obscure,  and  it  is  impossible  to  say  what 
their  meaning  is.  The  sheet  of  papyrus  on  which  this 
letter  was  written  was  rolled  up  and  attached  to  a  sepul- 
chral figure,_  not  of  the  wife  to  whom  it  is  addressed — she 
was  called  Ankh-ari^ — but  of  another  woman.  This  fact 
is  difficult  to  explain,  and  it  has  been  supposed  that  the 
letter  was  attached  to  the  wrong  figure  by  mistake. 
Another  explanation  is  possible.  The  figure  to  which  it 
was  fastened  may  have  been  that  of  a  woman  who  died 
some  time  after  Ankh-ari,  and  the  widower  may  have 
attached  it  to  her  figure  with  the  view  of  getting  the 
spirit  of  this  woman  to  convey  its  contents  to  the  spirit 
of  his  dead  wife  in  the  Other  World.  The  text  says 
nothing  about  the  reason  why  the  letter  was  written,  but 
it  seems  quite  clear  that  the  widower,  finding  himself 
sick  and  depressed,  consulted  a  magician,  who  told  him 
that  his  illness  was  caused  by  the  spirit  of  his  dead  wife. 
Towards  the  close  of  his  letter  the  widower  seems  to  say 
that  he  did  not  enter  his  house  for  three  years,  and  we 
may  assume  that,  having  waited  all  this  time  for  peace, 
he  at  last  consulted  a  magician,  and  made  his  appeal  to 
his  dead  wife's  spirit.  Further,  the  magician  may  have 
promised  him  to  cause  the  contents  of  the  letter  to  reach 
the  Other  World  without  fail. 

3.  Marriage. 

Of  the  betrothal  and  wedding  ceremonies  of  the 
ancient  Egyptians  nothing  is  known,  but  it  is  most 
probable  that  they  resembled  those  which  are  common 
among  Africans  at  the  present  day.^     Social  formalities 


fXIT^ 


"  See  Johnston,  George  Grenfell,  Vol.  II,  p.  674  ff.  ;  Bentley, 
Pioneering  on  the  Congo,  Vol.  II,  p.  44  ;  Johnston,  Uga7ida,  Vol.  II, 
pp.  609,  687,  747,  790,  822,  878;   Hollis,  Afasai,  pp.    121,   129,   170, 


Marriage  213 

made  the  marriage  legal,  and  it  is  unlikely  that  there 
was  any  religious  ceremony.  Under  the  New  Empire 
women  of  high  degree  took  care  to  have  suitable 
provision  made  for  them  before  they  married,  and  care- 
fully worded  legal  contracts  safeguarding  their  interests 
were  drawn  up  and  executed.  Apparently  any  man 
might  marry  any  woman,  for  there  seems  to  have  been 
neither  family  nor  tribal  totem  tabil,  at  least  in  the 
Dynastic  Period.  Polygamy  was  very  common.  Among 
the  upper  classes  a  man  frequently  married  more  than 
one  wife  for  purely  official  and  social  reasons,  which 
were  often  connected  with  property  of  various  kinds, 
and  the  inscriptions  mention  a  few  cases  in  which  two 
wives  rule  in  a  man's  house  at  the  same  time.  Kings, 
of  course,  married  several  wives  for  political  and  State 
reasons,  and  they  and  their  nobles  usually  kept  large 
harims.  Among  the  lower  classes  in  the  great  towns 
sexual  morality  was  not  of  a  high  order,  and  men 
frequently  lived  with  women  who  were  not  their  wives. 
Then,  as  now,  they  entered  into  "  temporary  marriages, 
and  as  often  as  not  they  called  the  women  who  lived 
with  them  their  "  sisters."  In  all  classes  men  some- 
times married  their  actual  sisters,  and  they  appear  to 
have  done  so  in  order  to  keep  property  in  the  family. 
This  kind  of  incest  was  authorized  by  the  cult  of  Osiris, 
for  according  to  the  legend  the  two  brothers  Osiris  and 
Set  married  their  sisters  Isis  and  Nephthys.  Another 
legend  quoted  by  Plutarch  makes  Osiris  to  have  union 
also  with  Nephthys,  the  result  of  this  intercourse  being 
Anubis.  The  Ptolemies  adopted  the  custom  of  sister- 
marriage,  though  the  Greeks  in  general  abhorred  it. 
Among  modern  African  peoples  marriage  between 
brother  and  sister  is  practically  unknown.  In  West 
Africa  marriage  within  any  degree  of  consanguinity 
is  forbidden,  and  marriage  of  cousins  is  impossible  •}  in 
modern  Egypt  the  marriage  of  cousins  is  regarded  as  a 
fitting  arrangement,  and  all  parties  are  satisfied.  The 
religious  texts  show  that  the  spirits  of  the  Other  World 

201,   238,   299,   302,   309,   331;    Hollis,  JVajidi,   p.   60  ff. ;    Kingsley, 
Travels  in  West  Africa,  p.  225  ;   Decle,  l^hree    Years,  pp.  78,  158,  233, 
294,  346,  430,  445,  490  ;  and  especially  Nassau,  Fetichism,  p.  4. 
^  Nassau,  Fetichisvi,  p.  8. 


214     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

rejoiced  in  marriage,  though  there  is  no  mention  made  of 
spirit  offspring.  Thus  in  the  text  of  Unas  (Vth  dynasty) 
we  read  of  the  king  marrying  a  young  and  beautiful 
woman  in  the  kingdom  of  Osiris,^  and  also  the  goddess 
Isis,^  and  he  carries  off  women  from  their  husbands 
whenever  he  pleases,  and  makes  them  his  wives^  in  any 
place  he  pleases. 

Adultery  was  as  common  in  Egypt  as  it  is  at  the 
present  time  in  many  parts  of  Africa,  and  was  sometimes 
punished  by  death.  Thus  in  the_  Westcar  Papyrus  we 
find  that  the  adulterous  wife  of  Aba-aner  was,  by  royal 
command,  burnt  by  the  north  wall  of  the  palace,  and  her 
ashes  thrown  into  the  canal,  or  river,  and  the  Tale  of 
the  Two  Brothers  says  that  after  Anpu  had  heard  the 
true  account  of  his  wife's  wickedness  from  his  brother  he 
went  home  and  killed  her,  and  threw  her  body  to  the 
dogs,  or  jackals.*  Among  modern  African  peoples 
adultery  is  punished  by  death,  or  mutilation,  or  a  heavy 
fine.  Prostitution  was  common,  and  among  the  ranks  of 
courtesans  were  large  numbers  of  married  women  whose 
husbands  had  left  them,  and  who  travelled  up  and  down 
the  country  practising  their  profession.  This  is  proved 
by  a  passage  in  the  Maxims  of  Ani,  wherein  the 
young  man  is  warned  to  guard  himself  against  the 
woman  from  outside  whose  town  is   not   known.      The 


r\     AVAA/S     * 


ra  tk  o  °  ,  1. 182. 


AA^WW 


^l-p^skTli^kp- 


Tela,  1.  277  =  Pepi  I,  1.  30. 


^^C^iUklUT--  (MM 

' .     Unas,  11.  628,  629. 


C^ir] 


Marriage  215 

writer  also  mentions  the  woman  whose  husband  is  far 
away  from  her,^  and  who  writes  every  day  to  the  man 
she  has  set  her  heart  upon.  If  there  is  no  one  looking 
she  stands  up  and  spreads  out  her  net.  "  Do  not  look 
"  at  her,  do  not  follow  her,  have  no  commerce  with  her. 
"  She  is  like  a  whirlpool  in  a  current  leading  man 
"  knoweth  not  where.  To  listen  to  her  is  an  abominable 
"  and  deadly  thing."  The  modern  parallel  to  this  is 
supplied  by  the  Babangi  women,  who  used  to  group 
themselves  in  little  bands  of  courtesans,  who  plied  their 
trade  up  and  down  the  Congo  between  the  Equatorial 
region  and  Stanley  Pool.^  The  courtesan  and  concubine 
were  such  important  members  of  ancient  Egyptian 
society  that  even  the  pious  Egyptian  expected  to  meet 
his  friends  among  these  classes  in  the  Other  World. 
On  a  coffin  at  Cairo  the  deceased  Sepa  says  :  "  Behold, 
"  O  great  Creator,  make  Sepa  to  rejoin  his  sons  and 
"  daughters,  and  his  concubines  whom  it  is  his  heart's 
"  desire  [to  meet],"  and  he  hoped  to  find  in  heaven  his 
grandparents,  parents,  sons,  daughters,  brethren,  sisters, 
uncles,  aunts,  cousins,  friends,  servants,  "  and  the  con- 
cubine whom  he  loved  and  knew."^  Among  some 
African  peoples,  e.g.,  the  Busoga,  seduction  is  heavily 
punished  ;  curiously  enough,  among  the  Bantu  Kavi- 
rondo  marriage  is  consummated  in  the  presence  of  a 
large  number  of  girls  and  women.*  The  "  chief  wife," 
whether  in  palace  or  farm,  was  a  great  power,  and  she 
ruled  the  household  as  she  pleased.  The  reverence  paid 
to  the  mother  was  always  very  great,  and  under  the 
Ancient  and  Middle  Empires  men  invariably  traced 
their  descent  from  their  mothers.  On  a  funerary  stele 
the  name  of  the  father  of  the  deceased  is  rarely  men- 
tioned, but  great  care  is  taken  to  record  that  of  the 
mother.  It  has  been  customary  in  Africa  from  time 
immemorial  to  trace  descent  through  the  mother  rather 
than  through  the  father,  probably  because  there  never 
can    be   any    doubt   as    to    a    man's    parentage    or     his 

^  Johnston,  George  Grenfell,  Vol.  II,  p.  678. 
^  Recueil  de  Travaux,  1904,  pp.  67-72. 
*  Johnston,  Uganda,  pp.  719,  747. 


2i6     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

mother's  side.  Kinship  was  reckoned  very  far  on  the 
female  side.  Thus  in  the  "  Stele  of  the  Enthronement  "^ 
the  pedigree  of  the  mother  of  Aspelta  is  reckoned  for 
seven  generations,  while  of  his  male  ancestors  only  his 
father  is  mentioned.  This  is  the  case  also  among  some 
modern  African  peoples,  e.g.,  the  Bambala,  who  reckon 
kinship  on  the  female  side  ;  on  that  of  the  male  not 
beyond  the  uncle  and  grandfather.^  In  the  Camma 
(Nkama)  country  also  descent  is  traced  from  the 
mother.^  The  Maxims  of  Ani  tell  a  man  to  make 
offerings  to  his  father  and  mother  when  they  rest  in 
the  tomb,*  but  he  is  most  solemnly  warned  by  them  to 
be  most  careful  how  he  treats  his  mother,  who  suckled 
him  for  three  years,  ^  and  carried  bread  and  beer  to  him 
every  day  when  he  was  at  school.  The  writer  says  : 
"  Give  thy  mother  no  cause  to  be  offended  at  thee,  lest 
'  she  lift  up  her  hands  to  the  God,  Who  will  hear  her 
"  complaint  "^  and  will  punish  thee. 

4.  Respect  for  the  Aged. 

Respect    for    the    aged    was   a    characteristic  of  the 
Egyptian,  and  it  is    found    among   a   large    number   of 

1  Mariette,  Monuments  Divers,  Plate  9. 

2  Johnston,  George  Grenfell.,  Vol.  II,  p.  699. 
^  Du  Chaillu,  Adventures,  p.  251. 


<Q=<  mm] 

AAA^WV    I    I    I 

^  See  Winwood  Reade,  Savage  Africa,  p.  205.  "  The  mother  is 
"  treated  with  great  respect,  and  is  exempt  from  all  labour  while  she 
"  continues  to  suckle  her  child,  which  she  does  as  long  as  her  milk  lasts 
*'  — generally  two  or  three  years.  During  this  time  and  also  from  the 
"  moment  that  impregnation  becomes  apparent,  the  mother  no  longer 
"  cohabits  with  her  husband."  Compare  also  Livingstone,  Last 
Jo24rnals,  p.  51,  where  he  says  that  women  have  no  intercourse  with 
their  husbands  when  enceinte,  and  for  three  years  afterwards. 


k^^k^lPJiiP 


Purification  after  Birth  217 

modern  African  tribes  at  the  present  day.  The 
Maxims  of  Ani  say  :  "  Sit  not  down  when  another  is 
standing  up  if  he  be  older  than  thou,  even  if  thy  rank 
in  Hfe  be  higher  than  his."^  With  this  compare  : 
Young  men  never  enter  the  presence  of  an  aged  person 
without  curtseying,  and  passing  in  a  stooping  attitude, 
as  if  they  were  going  under  a  low  door.  When  seated 
in  his  presence,  it  is  always  at  a  humble  distance.  If 
they  hand  him  a  lighted  pipe  or  a  mug  of  water,  they 
fall  on  one  knee.  If  an  old  man,  they  address  him  as 
vera,  "father";  if  an  old  woman,  as  7igwe,  "mother."^ 
The  aged  must  only  be  addressed  in  terms  of  flattery 
and  adulation.  Any  disrespectful  deportment  or 
reproachful  language  towards  such  persons  is  regarded 
as  a  misdemeanor  of  no  ordinary  kind.  And  there  is 
nothing  which  a  young  person  so  much  deprecates  as 
the  curse  of  an  aged  person,  and  especially  that  of  a 
revered  father.  This  profound  respect  for  aged  persons, 
by  a  very  natural  operation  of  the  mind,  is  turned  into 
idolatrous  regard  for  them  when  dead.  They  are  not 
divested  of  their  power  and  influence  by  death,  but,  on 
the  contrary,  they  are  raised  to  a  higher  and  more 
powerful  sphere  of  influence,  and  hence  the  natural 
disposition  of  the  living,  and  especially  those  related  to 
them  in  any  way  in  this  world,  to  look  to  them  and 
call  upon  them  for  aid  in  all  the  emergencies  and  trials 
of  life  .3 

5.  Purification  After  Birth. 

Soon  after  a  child  was  born  among  the  ancient 
Egyptians,  he  or  she  was  washed  with  water  and,  in 
the  case  of  well-to-do  people,  was  probably  anointed 
with    oil.     The    washing    with    water    was,    no    doubt, 


1 


2  Reade,  Savage  Africa,  p.  208. 
2  Wilson,  Western  Africa,  p.  393. 


2i8     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

originally  a  symbolic  act,  and  was  equivalent  to  the 
sprinkling  with  water  which  took  place  during  the 
performance  of  religious  and  magical  rites  and  cere- 
monies. The  anointing  oil  was  probably  of  a  special 
kind,  and  must  have  been  thought  to  possess  peculiar 
properties,  like  the  Seven  Holy  Oils  used  in  the 
Opening  of  the  Mouth.  Whether  the  washing  of  the 
child  with  water  was  regarded  in  the  same  way  as  we 
regard  baptism  we  do  not  know.  Among  many  modern 
African  tribes  there  remain  traces  of  a  ceremony 
resembling  baptism,  which  may  have  been  derived  from 
the  Jews  or  Christians  of  East  Africa.  Dr.  Nassau 
found  traces  of  the  ceremony  on  Corisco  Island  about 
46  years  ago,  and  he  says  that  it  had  been  very 
prevalent  in  other  parts  of  the  Gabun  country  before 
that  time.^  Mr.  Wilson  states  that  in  Western  Africa 
a  public  crier  announces  the  birth  of  a  child,  and  claims 
for  it  a  name  and  place  among  the  living.  Someone 
else,  in  a  distant  part  of  the  village,  acknowledges  the 
fact,  and  promises,  on  the  part  of  the  people,  that  the 
child  shall  be  received  into  the  community,  and  have 
all  the  rights  and  immunities  pertaining  to  the  rest  of 
the  people.  The  population  then  assemble  in  the  street, 
and  the  babe  is  brought  out  and  exposed  to  public 
view.  Dr.  Nassau  gives  a  picture  of  the  babe  lying 
on  a  plantain  leaf.^  A  basin  of  water  is  provided,  and 
the  headman  of  the  village  or  family  sprinkles  water 
upon  the  child,  giving  it  a  name,  and  invoking  a 
blessing  upon  it,  such  as,  that  it  may  have  health,  grow 
up  in  manhood  or  womanhood,  a  numerous  progeny, 
possess  much  riches,  etc.^  Among  the  Banyoro  the 
Muchwezi,  or  sorcerer,  visits  the  newly  born  child,  and 
as  he  prays  that  it  may  have  long  life,  riches,  and 
health,  and  may  be  a  firm  believer  in  the  tribal  and 
ancestral  spirits,  he  spits  on  its  body  as  he  utters  each 
petition,  and  pinches  it  all  over.*  The  priest's  saliva  is, 
of  course,  sacred.  Bishop  Tucker  found  in  Uganda  a 
ceremony    very   like    baptism ;  oil    was    poured    on    the 

^  Feiichism,  p.  212. 
2  Crowned  in  Palm-Land,  p.  102. 
'  Wilson,   Western  Africa,  p.  399. 
^  Johnston,  Uganda,  Vol.  II,  p.  587. 


Circumcision  219 

child's  head,  and  a  name  was  given  to  it,^  Among  the 
Yorubas  a  remarkable  ceremony  of  purification  is  per- 
formed over  both  mother  and  child  seven  days  after 
its  birth.  The  water  which  is  always  in  the  earthen 
vessels  placed  before  the  images  of  the  gods  is  brought 
to  the  house  and  thrown  upon  the  thatched  roof,  and 
as  it  drips  down  from  the  eaves  the  mother  and  child 
pass  three  times  through  the  falling  drops.  The 
babalawo  (priest)  next  makes  a  water  of  purification 
with  which  he  bathes  the  child's  head,  and  he  repeats 
three  times  the  name  by  which  the  infant  is  to  be 
known,  and  then  holds  him  in  his  arms  so  that  his  feet 
touch  the  ground,'^ 

When  in  the  Oasis  of  Khargah  in  1909,  I  was  informed 
by  the  Omdah  that  the  inhabitants,  though  Muslims, 
baptize  their  babies  on  the  second  or  third  day  after  birth. 
The  child  is  placed  in  a  flat  basin  {tisht)  and  water  is 
poured  over  it,  whilst  a  name  is  given  to  it.  This  custom 
dates  from  pre- Muslim  times,  when  the  dwellers  in  the 
Great  Oasis  were  Christians,  and  they  have  preserved  it 
along  with  several  other  customs,  apparently  of  Christian 
origin.  Thus  they  decorate  the  tops  of  the  walls  of  their 
houses  with  palm  branches  once  a  year  on  a  day  which  is 
equivalent  to  Palm  Sunday,  and  for  weeks  before  Easter 
they  collect  eggs,  and  save  them  and  dye  them  pink  with 
a  decoction  of  permanganate  of  potash,  and  as  "  Easter 
eggs  "  they  eat  them  on  Easter  Sunday. 

6.  Circumcision. 

The  mummified  bodies  of  the  ancient  Egyptians  which 
are  available  for  examination  prove  that  circumcision  was 
general  at  all  periods  in  Egypt.  As,  however,  the  texts 
say  litde  or  nothing  about  the  ceremony  itself,  or  its 
significance,  we  must  assume  that  it  had  no  religious 
importance,  at  least  in  Dynastic  times,  and  that,  if  the 
earlier  inhabitants  of  the  Nile  Valley  ever  regarded  it 
as  an  act  of  worship,  this  view  of  it  was  ignored  by  their 
descendants  or  forgotten.  Originally,  circumcision  must 
have  had  a  relisfious  siofnificance,  and  there  is  little  doubt 

^  Eighteen  Years  in  Uganda,  Vol.  I,  p.  85. 
2  Ellis,   Yoruba-speaking  Peoples,  p.  153. 


220     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

that  the  portion  cut  from  the  body  of  the  boy  was 
regarded  as  an  offering  which  was  made  to  one  or 
other  of  the  gods  of  virility  or  generation,  just  as  it  is 
to-day  among  many  of  the  tribes  of  Africa.  A  representa- 
tion of  the  performance  of  circumcision,  probably  the 
oldest  known,  is  found  on  a  relief  in  a  tomb  at  Sakkarah,^ 
and  it  dates  from  the  period  of  the  Vlth  dynasty.  The 
act  is  performed  by  a  "priest  of  the  Ka,"^  but  whether 
this  official  was  a  member  of  the  boy's  family,  or  a 
professional  priest,  cannot  be  said.  A  god  of  circumcision 
appears  to  be  mentioned  in  the  text  of  Teta  (Vlth 
dynasty),  but  in  exactly  what  connection  is  not  clear.^ 

According  to  the  accounts  of  travellers  circumcision 
is  not  universal  in  Africa  at  the  present  time.  All  the 
males  of  the  Congo  Pygmies  seen  by  Sir  Harry 
Johnston  were  circumcised,*  and  so  were  the  Mbuta 
and  Bantu-speaking  negroes  of  the  Congo  Forest,  from 
the  Semliki  Valley  to  the  Upper  Congo. ^  Among  the 
Nandi  youths  are  circumcised  between  the  ages  of  ten 
and  twenty,  and  only  boys  are  so  treated  if  they  are 
fairly  rich  orphans,  or  if  their  fathers  are  old  men. 
The  commonest  agfe  is  between  fifteen  and  nineteen.^ 
Amongr  the  Masai  the  ag-e  is  between  thirteen  and 
seventeen,  but  orphans  and  the  children  of  the  poor  wait 
till  they  are  twenty.'''  Among  the  Lendu  the  age  is  seven 
or  eight,  and  the  part  cut  from  the  boy  is  carefully  buried 
in    the   ground.^     In    some  parts   of  West    Africa    the 

^  See  Capart,  Une  Rue  de  Tombeaux  a  Sagqarah,  and  a  notice  of 
the  work  by  Scott-Moncrieif  in  F.S.B.A.,  Vol.  XXX,  pp.  34-36. 

jl  r=tD  %>  (1.  292).     The  root  [l  J  r=di   V>  appears  in  Coptic  under 

the  forms  cE^e,  cSht,  ce^HT,  ce^i,  co-r^e. 

4   Uganda,  Vol.  II,  p.  538.  ^  Ibid.,  p.  556. 

6  Hollis,  Nandi,  p.  52  ff.  The  elaborate  ceremonies  performed  by 
the  Nandi,  as  described  by  Mr.  Hollis,  are  full  of  interest,  and  merit 
careful  study. 

"^  Hollis,  Masai,  pp.  262,  296. 

^  Johnston,  Uganda,  Vol.  II,  p.  554. 


Circumcision  221 

operation  is  performed  from  two  to  twelve  days  after  the 
child's  birth,  in  others  after  a  period  of  three  or  four 
months,  and  in  others  the  rite  is  evaded.  No  Lunda  man 
can  become  chief  until  he  has  been  circumcised.  Some 
of  the  tribes  of  forest  negroes  of  the  north-east  borderland 
of  the  Congo  basin, ^  and  a  few  of  the  Mongo  tribes,  and 
the  Bambalaand  Bahuanaofthe  Kwilu-Kasai,  and  many 
of  the  wild  negroes  of  the  south  and  south-east,  do  not 
circumcise.  The  Kruboys  of  West  Africa  entirely 
repudiate  the  idea.^  Among  the  Bongos  circumcision  is  not 
practised,  and  a  circumcised  man  cannot  hope  to  make  a 
good  marriage.^  The  Basukuma  do  not  circumcise,*  but 
the  Lendu  do.^  According  to  Stanley,  some  of  the  tribes 
of  the  great  African  forest  circumcise,  and  others  do  not  f 
the  forest  embraces  twelves  degrees  of  longitude.  The 
Wakamba,  like  most  East  African  tribes,  circumcise.'''  In 
Andrew  Battell's  day  the  people  of  Angola  were  circum- 
cised.^ The  Waiyau  used  to  circumcise  their  males,  and 
after  the  performance  of  the  ceremony  boys  took  a  new 
name.^  The  people  of  the  Sherbro  also  gave  their  boys 
a  name  after  circumcision.^*^ 

As  to  whether  there  is  any  religious  or  "  fetishistic  " 
idea  connected  with  circumcision  in  the  minds  of  the 
modern  African  opinions  differ.  Bentley  thought  there 
was  not,  but  according  to  Mr.  Torday  some  tribes  in 
south-west  Congoland  attach  a  "  distinct  fetishistic 
importance  "  to  the  operation.  Sir  Harry  Johnston  also 
thinks    that    in    some   parts  of  Congoland   "  vestiges  of 

1  As  to  the  peoples  of  the  Batwa  information  is  not  forthcoming. 
The  names  given  to  them  are  :  Dongo,  Matimba,  Obongo,  Bakka-Bakka, 
Kenkab,  Betsan,  Mala-Gilagah,  Tikki-Tikki  (by  the  A-Sande),  Akka 
(by  the  Mahbattfi),  Affifi  (by  the  Mounfu),  Wotsehua,  Wambuttu,  etc. 
— Frobenius,  Heiden-Neger^  p.  456. 

2  Johnston,  George  Grenfell,  Vol.  II,  p.  576  ;  Liberia,  Vol.  II, 
p.  978. 

^  Schweinfurth,  Heart  of  Africa,  Vol.  I,  p.  294. 

•*  Cunningham,  Uganda,  p.  309. 

^  Ibid.,  p.  326. 

^  Darkest  Africa,  Vol.  II,  p.  90. 

"^  Krapf,  Researches  and  Missionary  Travels,  p.  144. 

*  Strange  Adventures  (Hakluyt  Society),  p.  57.  Livingstone  says 
that  the  Bechuanah  and  Caffre  tribes  circumcise,  but  not  the  Negro 
tribes  beyond  20  degrees  south. — Missionary  Travels,  p.  146. 

^  Livingstone,  Last  Journals,  Vol.  I,  p.  81. 

^*^  AUdridge,  Sherbro  and  Its  Hinterland,  p.  125. 

VOL.  II.  Q 


222     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

superstition  or  religion  "  are  attached  to  it  in  the  minds  of 
the  people.^  He  also  thinks  that  the  practice  "arose  in 
connection  with  religious  belief  somewhere  in  Egypt, 
Arabia,  Syria,  or  the  Mediterranean  coast-lands,  and 
gradually  made  its  way  south  into  Africa,  assisted  very 
considerably  during  the  last  thousand  years  by  the  spread 
of  Muhammadanism."^  It  is,  however,  quite  certain  that 
circumcision  was  practised  by  the  Blacks,  or  Negroes,  in 
Predynastic  times  ;  this  Is  proved  by  the  green  slate 
object  In  the  British  Museum,^  on  which  is  a  representa- 
tion of  a  fight  between  Egyptians  and  Blacks.  The  men 
who  are  vanquished  have  curly  wool  for  hair,  and  are 
bearded  and  naked,  and  it  Is  evident  that  they  are  circum- 
cised. These  enemies  of  the  Egyptians,  who  are  certainly 
Sudani  folk,  may  have  borrowed  circumcision  from  Egypt, 
but  if  It  Is  so,  it  Is  quite  clear  that  the  borrowing  was 
very  ancient,  for  It  took  place  at  least  6,000  years  ago. 
Strabo  says  :  *'  All  the  Troglodytes  are  circumcised,  and 
the  cripples  among  them  are  mutilated"  (HI.  31).  The 
general  trend  of  the  evidence  suggests  that  circumcision 
was  practised  In  the  S{idan,  as  well  as  In  Egypt,  from  time 
immemorial,  that  It  had  nothing  to  do  with  considerations 
of  health,  that  it  had  a  religious  significance,  and  that  It 
was  originally  connected  with  some  kind  of  phallic 
worship.'^ 

In  many  parts  of  the  Sudan  girls  also  are  circumcised. 
According  to  Mr.  R.  G.  Anderson  the  circumcision  of 
girls  Is  of  two  kinds.  The  first  is  called  Tahurat  Sunna, 
i.e.,  the  "purification  of  the  law," and  the  second  Tahurat 
Farohin,  i.e.,  the  "purification  of  the  Pharaohs."  In 
the  first  the  clitoris  and  labia  minora  are  removed ;  this 
kind  Is  In  vogue  among  Egyptian  women,  but  In  the 
Stidan  is  mostly  restricted  to  the  Bakkarah  tribes.  In 
the  second  the  upper  two-thirds  of  the  labia  majora  are 


^   George  Grenfell,  Vol.  II,  p.  576. 

2  Ibid. 

^  No.  20,790,  Third  Egyptian  Room,  Table-case  L. 

*  An  excellent  description  of  the  operation  of  circumcision  as 
practised  in  Kordofan  is  given  by  Mr.  R.  G.  Anderson  in  Third  Report 
of  the  Wellcome  Research  Laboratory,  p.  318,  with  good  illustrations. 
The  peculiar  character  of  Masai  circumcision  is  shortly  stated  by 
Johnston,  Ugarida,  Vol.  11,  p.  804. 


Circumcision  223 

also  removed  ;  this  kind  of  circumcision  is  believed  to 
have  been  practised  by  the  ancient  Egyptians  under  the 
Pharaohs,  and  is  thought  to  have  survived  despite  the 
innovation  of  Muslim  Law.^  Strabo  mentions  the 
circumcision  of  girls  (/cat  ra  6rj\ea  iKTefxveLv),  but  he  does 
not  go  into  details.  W.  G.  Browne,  who  was  in  the 
Sudan  between  1792  and  1800,  supplies  some  interesting 
information  in  his  narrative  of  his  travels,  and  describes 
the  operation  and  its  effects.^  The  whole  subject  has 
been  investigated  with  great  care  and  learning  by 
Dr.  Ploss,  who  shows  that  the  practice  is  common  in 
Egypt,  Nubia,  Abyssinia,  Sennaar,  and  the  Sudan,  and 
among  the  Gallas,  Agows,  Gaffats,  Gongos  and  many 
other  peoples  of  East  Africa,  It  is  also  found  in  the  Little 
Oasis,  where  to  be  called  the  "  son  of  an  uncut  woman  " 
is  a  serious  insult,  and  in  West  Africa,  e.£\,  in  Sierra 
Leone,  Benin,  Congo-land,  Accra,  the  Gold  Coast,  Old 
Calabar,  Loando  and  in  the  lands  of  the  Masai,  Wakuasi, 
and  Betchuanas.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  Dr.  Ploss 
considers  infibulation,  which  follows  the  operation  in 
Africa,  quite  peculiar  to  Africa,  for  he  says  that  outside 
North  and  Central  Africa  he  has  found  it  practised  in  no 
other  country  in  the  world. ^ 

^  Third  Report,  p.  320. 

2  "  Mihi  contigit  nigram  quandam  puellam,  qui  banc  operationem 
"  subierat,  inspicere  labia  pudendi  acu  et  filo  consuta  mihi  plana 
"  detecta  fuere,  foramine  angusto  in  meatum  urinae  relicto.  Apud 
"  Esne,  Siout  et  Cairo,  tonsores  sunt,  qui  obstructionem  novacula 
"amovent,  sed  vulnus  baud  raro  letbale  evenit"  (p.  347).  Of  the 
operation  necessary  before  marriage,  be  says  :  "  Cicatrix,  post  excisionem 
"  clitoridis,  parietes  ipsos  vaginae,  foramine  parvo  relicto,  inter  se 
"  glutinat.  Cum  tempus  nuptiarum  adveniat,  membranum,  a  qua 
"  vagina  clauditur,  coram  pluribus  pronubis  inciditur,  sponso  ipso 
"  adjuvante.  Interdum  evenit  ut  operationem  efificere  nequeant,  sine 
"  ope  mulieris  aliquae  expertae,  quae,  scalpello  partes  in  vagina 
"  profundius  rescindit.  Maritus  crastina  die  cum  uxore  plerumque 
"  habitat ;  undie  ilia  Araborum  sententia,  '  Lelat  ad-dukbla  mitbl  lelat 
"  al-futiih,  i.e.,  post  diem  aperturae,  dies  initus.  Ex  hoc  consuetudine 
"  fit  ut  sponsus  nunquam  decipiatur,  et  ex  hoc  fit  ut  in  Aegypto 
"  Superiori  innuptae  repulsare  lascivias  bominum  parum  student, 
"  dicentes,  *  Tabdsni  wala  takhurkani,'  sed  quantum  eis  sit  invita  baec 
"  continentia,  post  matrimoniam  demonstrant  libidine  quam  maxime 
"  indulgentes  "  (p.  332). 

^  Das  Weib  in  der  Natur-  und  Volkerkunde,  ed.  Bartels,  Seventh 
edition,  Vol.  I,  p.  227  ff. 

Q   2 


224     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

7.  Twins. 

It  is  well  known  that  in  several  parts  of  the  Sudan 
the  advent  of  twins  is  regarded  as  a  calamity,  and  that 
they  are  promptly  killed,  and  that  in  others  twins  are 
welcomed  and  are  allowed  to  grow  up  like  other  children. 
The  Egyptians  had  no  hostile  feelings  to  twins,  for  their 
gods  and  goddesses  Osiris,  Isis,  Set,  Nephthysand  Horus 
were  all  children  of  one  birth,  and  Osiris  and  Set  were 
always  regarded  as  twin  brethren,  and  Isis  and  Nephthys 
as  twin  sisters.  And  the  Egyptians  were  as  tolerant  of 
twins  in  daily  life  as  they  were  in  their  mythology, 
as  the  following  facts  will  show.  In  the  reign  of  Amen- 
hetep  III  the  whole  of  the  monuments  and  temple 
buildings  on  the  west  bank  of  the  river  at  Thebes  were 
under  the  direction  of  an  eminent  "  Clerk  of  the  Works," 
called  Suti,  and  those  on  the  east  bank,  including  the 
royal  residence,  were  under  the  direction  of  another 
eminent  "Clerk  of  the  Works,"  called  Heru.  These 
facts  we  learn  from  the  stele  in  the  British  Museum 
{No.  475)  which  was  found  at  Thebes  in  a  tomb  that 
probably  contained  both  their  bodies.  The  principal 
text  on  the  stele  is  a  hymn  to  the  Sun-god,  and  on  the 
sides  of  this  are  given  a  few  biographical  details  of  the 
two  men.  After  describing  his  love  of  truth  and  his 
hatred  of  falsehood,  Heru  says  that  "his  brother"  was 
like  himself  in  this  respect,  and  that  he  "  came  forth 
from  the  belly  with  me."^  Thus  Heru  and  Suti  were 
brothers,  and  if  the  words  quoted  mean  anything  at  all 
it  is  that  they  were  twins.  Here  we  have  a  proof  that 
under  the  XVIIIth  dynasty  at  least  twins  were  not 
regarded  as  a  calamity,  and  their  names,  Heru  and  Suti, 
suggest  that  the  gods  Horus  and  Set  were  held  to  be 
the  patron  gods  of  male  twins.  We  may  now  note  the 
usages  as  to  twins  in  other  parts  of  Africa. 

In  one  town  of  the  kingdom  of  Benin,  the  name  of 
which  Miss  Kingsley  was  unable  to  obtain,  twins  and 
their  mother  were  sacrificed  to  a  demon  who  lived  in  a 

<!:=>  / «»— =.  0  M^i .      Birch,    Trans.    Soc.   Bib  I.    Arch., 

Vol.  VIII,  p.  157. 


Twins  225 

wood  near  the  town.  In  Old  Benin  the  law  was 
mercilessly  carried  out  in  the  case  of  the  poorer  class  of 
natives,  but  wealthy  people  often  bribed  the  Juju 
priests,  and  the  twins  were  spared.^  Women  who  bore 
twins  or  who  died  in  child-birth  were  supposed  to  have 
committed  adultery  with  spirits.^  In  Nguru,  one  of  the 
sister  provinces  of  Unyanyembe,  twins  are  ordered  to  be 
killed  and  thrown  into  water  the  moment  they  are  born, 
lest  droughts  and  famines  or  floods  should  waste  the 
land.  Should  any  one  attempt  to  conceal  twins,  the 
whole  family  would  be  murdered  by  the  chief.  In  the 
province  of  Unyanyembe,  if  a  twin  or  twins  die,  they  are 
thrown  into  the  water  for  the  same  reason  as  in  Noruru. 
When  a  twin  dies,  the  mother  ties  a  little  gourd  to  her 
neck  as  a  proxy,  and  puts  into  it  a  trifle  of  everything 
which  she  gives  the  living  child,  lest  the  spirit  of  the 
dead  twin  should  torment  her.  On  the  death  of  the 
child  she  smears  herself  with  butter  and  ashes,  and  runs 
frantically  about,  tearing  her  hair  and  bewailing  piteously. 
The  men  use  the  foulest  language  to  her,  as  if  in  abuse 
of  her  person,  but  they  do  so  merely  to  frighten  away 
the  demons  who  have  taken  the  child.  Speke  was  told 
of  a  Myoro  woman  who  bore  twins  that  died,  and  who 
kept  two  small  pots  in  her  house  as  effigies  of  the  children, 
into  which  she  milked  herself  every  evening,  lest  the 
spirits  of  the  dead  should  persecute  her.  The  twins 
were  placed  in  pots,  which  were  taken  to  the  jungle  and 
placed  by  a  tree,  with  the  mouths  downwards.^  Among 
the  Matabele  twins  are  put  to  death,*  but  the  Senga, 
Chinyai,  Tuwala,  and  the  Goa,  i.e.,  the  principal  native 
races  of  the  Portuguese  Zambesi,  have  large  families, 
and  do  not  kill  twins. ^  Whilst  Du  Chaillu  was  in  an 
Apingi  village  a  woman  gave  birth  to  twins,  and  one  of 
the  children  was  immediately  killed,  the  Negroes  holding 
that  if  both  twins  are  permitted  to  live  the  mother  will 
die.^  Twins  are  killed  among  all  the  Niger  Delta 
tribes,  and,  in  districts  out  of  English  control,  the  mother 

^    West  African  Studies,  p.  455. 

^  Ibid.,  p.  148. 

'  Journal  of  the  Discovery,  Dent's  edition,  pp.  425,  426. 

*  Decle,  Three  Years,  p.  160. 
*•  Ibid.,  p.  231. 

*  Strange  Adventures,  p.  456. 


226     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

too,   except  in   Omon,   where  the  sanctuary   is.     There 
mothers  and  their  twins  are  exiled  to  an  island  in  the 
Cross  River.     In  some  places  the  mother  of  twins  is  kept 
in  a  hut  for  a  whole  year  after  their  birth.     Then  there  is 
a  great  dance,  and  certain  ceremonies  take  place,  during 
which  the  mother  and  the  doctor,  not  the  husband,  have 
their  legs  painted  white.     After  this  the  woman  returns 
to  her  ordinary  avocations.     When  a  twin  dies  a  wooden 
image  is  made  and  placed  near  it  so  that  the  spirit  of  the 
dead  twin  may  have  some  place  to  live  in  if  it  needs  it. 
Elsewhere    Miss    Kingsley    found    that    the    mother   of 
twins,    if    allowed    to    live,    was    regarded    as    a    thing 
accursed,  and  an  outcast.     She  had  to  live  by  herself  in 
a  hut,  into  which  no  one  would  enter,  no  one  would  eat 
or  drink  with  her,  or  partake  of  the  food  or  water  which 
she    had    cooked  or  fetched.      Remarriage   and   giving 
birth  to  a  child  acceptable  to  the  natives  were  the  only 
things    which    could    rehabilitate   her.       The    bodies    of 
mothers  of  twins,  and  of  women  who  have  died  in  their 
confinement   without  the  child  being  born,  are  cast  far 
into  the  bush,  and  not  near  the  path,  where  the  bodies 
of  the  children  are  thrown  in  order  that  their  souls  may 
choose  new  mothers  from  the  women  who  pass  by.^     In 
Old  Calabar  twins  are  buried  alive. ^     Amongf  the  tribes 
of  the  Lower  Niger  a  woman  on  giving  birth  to  twins  is 
not  allowed  to  touch  the  cooking  utensils.^ 

According  to  Major  A.  G.  Leonard  the  destruction 
of  twins  is  a  purely  religious  custom,  the  origin  of  which 
is  lost  in  antiquity.  The  birth  of  twins  is  regarded  as 
an  unnatural  event,  which  is  to  be  ascribed  solely  to  the 
influence  of  malign  spirits,  acting  in  conjunction  with  the 
power  of  evil.  It  is  an  offence  against  the  ancestral 
gods,  and  must  be  removed,  together  with  the  offending 
cause,  the  woman.  It  implies  a  spirit  duality,  or 
enforced  possession  by  some  intruding  and  malignant 
demon,  in  the  yielding  and  offending  person  of  a 
member  of  the  household,  consequently  an  outrage 
committed  upon  the  domestic  sanctity.  The  natural 
product  of  two  human  energies,  as  a  single  unit,  is  only 

^  Kingsley,   J Ves f  A/rican  Studies,  pp.  4^2,  4^^. 

^  Hutchinson,  Te/i  Years'  Wanderings  among  the  Ethiopians,  p.  49. 

^  Leonard,  Lozver  Niger,  p.  311. 


Twins  227 

endowed,  or  provided,  with  one  Soul-spirit.  The  Ibo 
and  Brassmen  always  allow  the  first-born  twin  to  live, 
and  this  custom  is  a  practical  admission  of  this  view.  In 
every  home  in  the  Delta  the  advent  of  twins  causes 
terror,  for  it  will  provoke  the  anger  of  the  gods  and 
bring  punishment.  Twins  are  therefore  thrown  into  the 
bush,  or  set  adrift  in  rivers  and  creeks  in  roughly-made 
baskets  of  reeds  and  bulrushes,  where  they  are  drowned 
or  devoured  by  sharks  and  crocodiles.  The  mothers  are 
considered  unclean  for  the  rest  of  their  lives,  and  are 
compelled  to  live  in  ''Twin  Towns. "^ 

In  Alladah  and  Whydah  twins  were  regarded  as  a 
sure  proof  of  the  infidelity  of  the  mother,  as  the  people 
considered  that  no  woman  could  have  two  children  at 
once  by  one  husband.  The  twins  were  thrown  into  the 
water,  and  the  mother  impaled  and  her  breasts  cut  off.^ 
Among  the  Nandi  the  birth  of  twins  is  looked  upon  as 
an  inauspicious  event,  and  the  mother  is  considered 
unclean  for  the  rest  of  her  life.  One  of  the  twins  is 
always  called  Simatua  (a  kind  of  fig  tree)  and  the  other 
receives  the  name  of  an  animal.^ 

On  the  other  hand,  the  Bantu  and  the  Nilotic 
negroes  consider  the  birth  of  twins  to  be  a  very  lucky 
event ;  among  the  former  people  it  is  celebrated  by  an 
obscene  dance,  which,  however,  is  only  lewd  in  its 
traditional  gestures.*  Among  the  Masai,  Turkana, 
Suk,  etc.,  the  birth  of  twins  is  considered  lucky,  but,  at 
the  same  time,  to  be  rather  a  tempting  of  Providence. 
And  the  mother  of  twins  must  live  away  from  her 
husband's  villaofe  for  some  months,  and  on  no  account  sfo 
near  the  kraal  where  the  cattle  are  kept.  One  cow  is 
reserved  for  her  use,  and  she  drinks  its  milk.^  The 
Igarra  in  the  Niger  Delta  hail  the  birth  of  twins  with 
joy  and  acclamation,  and  it  is  thought  to  be  brought 
about  by  good  and  not  evil  spirits.  The  twins  are 
treated  exactly  alike,  eat  alike,  dress  alike,  and  are 
married    on    the    same   day.      It  is   thought  that    twins 

^  Ibid.^  p.  458. 

2  Skertchley,  Dahomey  as  It  is,  p.  500. 

3  Hollis,  Nand/,  p.  68. 

■*  Johnston,  Uganda,  Vol.  II,  pp.  748,  778. 
^  Il>id.,  p.  878. 


228     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

cannot  be  poisoned,  and  that  whilst  children  they  can 
declare  the  sex  of  an  unborn  child.^  Up  till  1874  twins 
were  brought  from  Cape  Coast  to  the  wells  of  the  god 
Kottor-krabah  to  be  named  by  the  two  famous  silk- 
cotton  trees,  called  "  N'ihna-attah."^  In  Garenganze  the 
people  delight  in  twins,  and  the  fathers  and  mothers  of 
twins  used  to  bring  their  offspring  and  present  them  to 
the  king.  Men  and  women  came  wearing  scant  clothing, 
and  the  king  made  them  presents  of  cloth.  Among  the 
Benga  tribe  if  a  twin  died,  a  wooden  image  was  substi- 
tuted in  the  bed  or  cradle  box  for  the  dead  twin  ;  if 
both  children  die  the  mother  must  have  two  wooden 
images.  In  the  Gabun  country  special  ceremonies  must 
be  performed  for  the  safety  of  their  lives,  or,  if  they  die, 
to  prevent  further  evil.  Among  the  Egba  tribes  of  the 
Yoruba  country  they  become  objects  of  worship.^ 

An  interesting-  fact  in  connection  with  twins  is 
reported  by  Speke,  who  says  : — To-day  a  tremendous 
commotion  took  place  in  Musa's  tembe  amongst  all  the 
women,  as  one  had  been  delivered  of  still-born  twins. 
They  went  about  in  procession,  painted  and  adorned  in 
the  most  grotesque  fashion,  bewailing  and  screeching, 
singing  and  dancing,  throwing  their  arms  and  legs  about 
as  if  they  were  drunk,  until  the  evening  set  in,  when 
they  gathered  a  large  bundle  of  bulrushes,  and,  covering 
it  over  with  a  cloth,  carried  it  up  to  the  door  of  the 
bereaved  on  their  shoulders,  as  though  it  had  been 
a  coffin.  Then,  setting  it  down  on  the  ground,  they 
planted  some  of  the  rushes  on  either  side  of  the  entrance, 
and  all  kneeling  together,  set  to  bewailing,  shrieking, 
and  howling  incessantly  for  hours  together."^ 

8.  Steatopygous  Women. 

The  pictures  of  Egyptian  women  which  are  found  on 
the  walls  of  tombs,  etc.,  prove  that  the  majority  of  women 
in  Egypt,  at  least  of  the  upper  classes,  were  slender  in 
figure,  with  long  arms,  hands,  legs,  and   feet.     Among 

^  Leonard,  Lower  Niger,  p.  462. 

2  Ellis,  Tshi-speaking  Peoples,  p.  43. 

3  Nassau,  Fetichism,  pp.  205-208. 

*  Speke, /«9z<'r«a/,  p.  98,  Dent's  edition. 


Steatopygous  Women 


229 


the  dolls  and  portrait  figures  of  women  which  have  come 
down  to  us  this  type  is  well  represented,  but  among 
them  we  also  find  figures  of  women,  both  talP  and  short,^ 
with  abnormally  developed  hips  and  thighs.  In  one  of 
the  reliefs  which  formerly  adorned  the  temple  of 
Hatshepset  at  Der  al-Bahari,  and  is  now  in  the 
Egyptian  Museum  in  Cairo,^  the  artist  depicted  the 
King  of  Punt,  his  queen,  two  sons,  and  a  daughter. 
The  figure  of  the  queen,  with  its  curved  back,  massive 
arms  and  legs,  and  huge  hips,  is  very  remarkable,  and 


The  steatopygous  Queen  of  Punt. 

From  a  bas-relief  in  the  temple  of  Hatshepsut  at  Der  al-Bahari  (now  in  the 

Egyptian  Museum,  Cairo). 

that  of  the  daughter  suggests  that  when  she  grew  older 
she  would  be  like  her  mother.  At  one  time  this  figure 
was  thought  by  some  to  be  a  caricature  of  the  queen 
drawn  by  an  ill-natured  Egyptian  artist,  but  recent 
investigations  have  proved  that,  so  far  from  this  being 
the  case,  his  representation  of  the  queen  is  strikingly 
faithful,  especially  when  we  compare  it  with  modern 
pictures  of  modern  steatopygous  women.  All  that 
can  be  said  against  it  is  that  the  curve  of  the  back 
is,     perhaps,    unduly    emphasized,    but,    even    so,     the 

^  See  the  dolls  and  portrait  figures  exhibited  in  the  Fourth  Egyptian 
Room  in  the  British  Museum. 

2  See  the  bone  figure  of  a  pygmy  woman,  No.  42,  Table-Case  L,  in 
the  Third  Egyptian  Room  in  the  British  Museum. 

^  See  Maspero,  Guide  to  the  Cairo  Museum^  edit.  1910  (Room  I, 
No.  309),  p.  130. 


230     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

conventional  limitations  imposed  on  the  artist  must  be 
taken  into  account. 

The  reliefs  in  the  pyramid-chapels  at  Shendi,  or 
Shindi,  represent  funeral  processions  of  women  with 
extraordinary  girth  of  body  and  development  of  hip, 
and  the  great  "  Candace  "  queens  of  Meroe  are  seen  to 
be  even  larger.  They  resemble  in  many  respects  the 
queen  of  Punt,  but  they  are  taller,  and  their  backs  are 
straight.  In  and  around  Shendi  at  the  present  day 
many  young  women  succeed  in  attaining  great  girth  of 
body  by  drinking  milk,  in  which  a  certain  herb  has  been 
steeped,  in  large  quantities  daily,  and  the  works  of 
travellers  contain  many  allusions  to  the  great  corpulency 
of  African  beauties  in  all  parts  of  the  Continent.  Thus 
Ibn  Batutah  extols  the  beauty  of  the  women  of  the 
Bardamah,  a  Berber  tribe,  and  says  they  were  the 
whitest  and  stoutest  women  he  had  ever  seen.  They 
drink  night  and  morning  a  mixture  of  milk  and  water 
and  crushed  millet,  uncooked.^  Mungo  Park  says  that 
a  woman  of  even  moderate  pretensions  must  be  one  who 
cannot  walk  without  a  slave  under  each  arm  to  support 
her,  and  "a  perfect  beauty  is  a  load  for  a  camel."  The 
girls  eat  large  quantities  of  kuskus,  and  drink  a  large 
bowl  of  camel's  milk  each  morning,  and  mothers  used  to 
beat  their  daughters  for  not  eating  enough.^  Schwein- 
furth  saw  fattened  women  among  the  Bongos,  whose 
thighs  were  as  large  as  a  man's  chest,  and  whose 
measurements  across  the  hips  recalled  to  his  mind  the 
"  Hottentot  Venus  "  in  Cuvier's  Atlas?  Baker,  describ- 
ing Kamrasi's  retreat,  says  that  he  appeared  with  a  great 
number  of  women  (his  wives),  several  of  whom  were 
carried  on  litters,  being  too  fat  to  walk.*  Speke  visited 
the  chief  Wazez^ru  and  found  him  sitting  with  his  wife 
on  a  grass-strewn  bench  of  earth,  with  numerous  wooden 
pots  of  milk  in  front  of  them.  The  lady  was  so 
immoderately  stout  that  she  could  not  rise,  and  so  large 
were  her  arms  that,  between  the  joints,  the  flesh  hung 

^    Voyages  d'Ibn  Batoutah,  ed.  Defremery  et  Sanguinetti,  torn.  IV, 

p.  438. 

^  Travels  in  the  Interior  of  Africa,  Dent's  edition,  p.  116. 
^  Heart  of  Africa,  Vol.  I,  p.  295. 
*  Albert  JVyanza,  p.  385. 


The  Poisoning  of  Ra  231 

down  like  large,  loose-stuffed  puddings.  Waz^zeru,  when 
asked  what  they  did  with  so  many  milk  pots,  pointing  to 
his  wife,  replied  :  "  This  is  all  the  product  of  these  pots  ; 
"  from  early  youth  upwards  we  keep  those  pots  to  their 
"  mouths,  at  it  is  the  fashion  at  court  to  have  very  fat 
"  wives."^  On  another  occasion  Speke  visited  a  sister- 
in-law  of  Rumanika  and  found  her  to  be  "  another  of 
these  wonders  of  obesity,  unable  to  stand  excepting  on  all 
fours."  Her  measurements  were  :  height,  5  feet  8  inches  ; 
round  arm,  i  foot  1 1  inches  ;  chest,  4  feet  4  inches  ; 
thigh,  2  feet  7  inches ;  calf,  i  foot  8  inches.  "  Mean- 
*'  while,  the  daughter,  a  lass  of  sixteen,  sat  stark-naked 
"  before  us,  sucking  at  a  milk-pot,  on  which  the  father 
*'  kept  her  at  work  by  holding  a  rod  in  his  hand,  for,  as 
"  fattening  is  the  first  duty  of  fashionable  female  life,  it 
"  must  be  duly  enforced  by  the  rod  if  necessary."^  The 
only  occupation  of  Kamrasi's  sisters  consisted  in  drinking 
milk,  each  one  consuming  daily  the  produce  of  from  ten 
to  twenty  cows.  They  cannot  walk,  and  should  any  one 
of  them  wish  to  go  and  see  a  relative,  eight  men  are 
required  to  help  her  on  to  a  litter.^  Mr.  J.  Thomson 
also  speaks  of  the  "  monstrously"  fat  wives  of  Kapufi, 
king  of  Karague,  who  were  fed  entirely  on  milk.*  This 
peculiarity  of  the  women  of  Central  and  Southern  Africa 
is  discussed  by  Dr.  Ploss,  who  quotes  many  authorities, 
and  prints  a  number  of  illustrations  from  drawings, 
photographs,  etc.,  and  adds  remarks  on  its  physiological 
aspect.^ 

9.  The  Poisoning  of  Ra. 

In  the  Legend  of  Ra  and  I  sis  we  read  that  the 
goddess  Isis  wished  to  become  like  Ra  and  to  have 
dominion  over  the  whole  universe,  and  that,  having 
meditated  long  on  the  matter,  she  at  length  decided  she 
could  only  gain  the  power  of  Ra  by  obtaining  the  know- 
ledge of  his  secret  name  from  him.  She  therefore 
caused  the  god  to  be  bitten  by  a  serpent,  and  when  he 

1  Journal^  p.  172. 

2  Ibid.,  p.  i8g. 
^  Ibid.,  p.  420. 

4  To  the  Central  African  lakes.  Vol.  II,  p.  219. 

5  Das  Weib,  Vol.  I,  p.  202  f. 


232     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

was  in  great  agony  he  was  persuaded  to  let  his  name 
pass  into  her.  The  "  magnificent  serpent  "  which  bit 
the  god  was  fashioned  by  I  sis  out  of  the  dust  of  the 
ground,  mixed  with  the  saliva  that  fell  from  the  mouth 
of  Ra,  and  she  made  it  to  have  poison  fangs,  and  set  it 
on  the  path  by  which  Ra  went  forth  each  day  to  inspect 
the  heavens  and  the  earth.  When  the  god  came  forth, 
accompanied  by  his  train  of  gods,  he  passed  along  the 
road  of  heaven  as  usual,  and  when  he  arrived  at  the 
spot  where  the  serpent  lay  coiled  up  waiting  for  him, 
it  reared  itself  up,  and  bit  him,  and  drove  the  poison  of 
its  body  into  him.^  In  placing  the  serpent  on  the  path 
of  the  Sun-god,  Isis  employed  a  stratagem  which  is  in 
use  by  buffalo  hunters  among  the  Banyoro  at  the  present 
day.  The  Chiope  hunters  in  the  north  of  Unyoro  told 
Mr.  G.  Wilson,  the  Collector  of  the  District,  that  expert 
hunters  were  in  the  habit  of  catching  puff-adders  in  a 
noose.  They  nailed  the  living  snake  by  the  tip  of  its 
tail  in  the  middle  of  a  buffalo  track,  and  when  a  buffalo 
went  by  the  snake  struck  at  it  and  killed  it.  As  many 
as  ten  buffaloes  were  killed  in  one  day  in  this  manner. 
The  body  of  the  first  buffalo  was  discarded  as  being 
poisoned,  but  the  bodies  of  the  other  victims  were 
eaten. ^  The  puff-adder  attains  a  considerable  size,  for 
Sir  Samuel  Baker  saw  one  which,  though  only  5  feet 
4  inches  in  length,  was  rather  more  than  15  inches  in 
girth.  Its  head  was  flat,  its  tail  blunt,  it  had  eight  teeth, 
and  Sir  Samuel  secured  five  poison  fangs,  the  two  most 
prominent  being  an  inch  in  length.^  When  Ra  had 
transferred  his  secret  name  to  Isis,  the  goddess,  pre- 
sumably, administered  to  him  an  antidote,  just  as  a 
modern  witch-woman  would  do,  for  many  "doctors"  in 
Africa  are  well  acquainted  with  antidotes  to  snake- 
bite.* 

10.  Osiris  Restored  to  Life  by  Isis. 

According  to  one  of  the  legends  of  Isis  and  Osiris, 
the  goddess  by  enchantments  and  other  means  succeeded 

^  Lefebure,  A.Z.,  1883,  p.  27. 
2  Johnston,  Ugtifida,  Vol.  II,  p.  584. 

^  Albert  N^yanza,  p.  233.     A  good  coloured  picture  of  the  Gabiin 
puff-adder  is  given  by  Johnston,  Uganda,  Vol.  I,  Plate  facing  p.  94. 
*  Johnston,  Uganda,  p.  795. 


The  Spitting  Serpent  233 

in  making  Osiris  to  return  to  life  sufficiently  long  to 
beget  Horus.  An  interesting  modern  parallel  to  this 
story  is  given  by  Mr.  Dennett,  who  prints  a  story  to  the 
effect  that  Fullafulla,  one  of  the  three  wives  of  Nenpetro, 
after  the  death  of  her  husband  collected  herbs  and 
plants,  and  by  their  means  restored  him  to  life.  The 
juices  of  the  plants  and  herbs  were  applied  to  his  body 
by  her,  and  she,  presumably,  recited  incantations  as  she 
used  them.  It  is  impossible  to  think  that  the  legend  of 
Isis  and  Osiris  is  known  in  West  Africa,  and  we  can 
only  conclude  that  modern  "wise-women"  or  "witch- 
women  "  claim  to  do  what  was  done  by  Isis,  the  great 
enchantress. 

II.  The  Spitting  Serpent. 

In  the  Eighth  Section  of  the  Book  of  Gates  a  picture 
is  given  of  a  monster  speckled  serpent  called  "  Kheti," 

\\,  with  seven  undulations,  in  each  of  which  stands 

a  god.  The  mouth  of  the  serpent  is  open,  and  through 
it  he  belches  a  stream  of  fire  into  the  faces  of  the 
enemies  of  Ra,  whose  arms  are  tied  behind  their  backs 
in  agonizing  positions.  Horus  says  to  the  serpent : 
"  Open  thy  mouth,  distend  thy  jaws,  belch  forth  thy  fire 
"  against  the  enemies  of  my  father,  burn  up  their  bodies, 
"  and  consume  their  souls  by  the  fire  which  issueth  from 
"  thy  mouth,  and  by  the  flames  which  are  in  thy  body." 
In  the  Book  Am-Tuat  (IXth  Division)  we  also  have 
a  group  of  twelve  little  serpents,  the  duty  of  which  was 
to  pour  out  fire  from  their  bodies,  which  was  to  light  the 
dead  Sun-god  on  his  way.  It  is  easy  to  explain  away 
these  creatures  and  their  fire-spitting  qualities  by  saying 
that  the  word  fire  is  only  figuratively  used  here,  and  that  the 
pictures  are  merely  representations  of  serpents  shooting 
out  poison  from  their  fangs.  It  was  formerly  thought 
spitting  serpents  did  not  exist,  and  that  the  Egyptian 
drawings  were  the  result  of  the  artist's  imagination. 
Livingstone,  however,  killed  a  serpent  of  the  species 
picakholu,  which  was  8  feet  3  inches  long,  and  was  so 
copiously  supplied  with  venom  that  it  continued  to  distil 
clear  poison  from  the  fangs  for  hours  after  its  head  was 
cut  off.      He  says,  "  This  was  probably  that  which  passes 


234     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

"  by  the  name  of  'spitting  serpent,'  which  is  beheved  to 
"  be  able  to  eject  the  poison  into  the  eyes  when  the 
"  wind  favours  its  forcible  expiration. "^  Bentley  tells  us 
that  one  of  the  ladies  of  the  Mission  at  Vivi  went  to  look 
for  eggs  in  the  fowl-house,  and  that  she  nearly  put  her 
hand  on  a  "spit-adder,"  which  spat  at  her.  The  poison 
entered  her  eyes,  and  for  a  while  it  was  feared  that  she 
would  lose  her  sight  ;  the  pain  was  very  great.^  The 
Egyptian  artist  clearly  had  this  serpent  in  his  mind  when 
he  drew  Kheti  spitting  venom  in  the  faces  of  the  wicked. 
The  question  of  the  "spitting  serpent"  is  discussed  by 
Dr.  F.  Werner,  who  says  that  he  saw  a  full-grown 
specimen  of  the  Naja  Nigricollis  which  had  been  brought 
to  him  in  Gondokoro,  spitting  directly  at  his  friend 
Dr.  Sassi.  The  saliva  has,  he  says,  no  fatal  effect  on 
the  unbroken  skin,  nor  on  the  mucous  membrane  of  the 
eyes,  which  are,  however,  liable  to  severe  inflammation, 
provided  that  it  be  washed  away  at  once.^  Another 
serpent,  Naja  hajae,  is  supposed  by  some  to  spit,  but 
Dr.  Werner  has  no  evidence  on  the  subject.  This 
serpent  is  probably  the  "  asp  "  of  Cleopatra,  and,  no 
doubt,  the  snake  which  Moses  made  to  become  rig-id  in 
the  presence  of  Pharaoh.  Modern  snake-charmers  give 
similar  exhibitions  of  their  power  over  it  in  Egypt  at  the 
present  day. 

12.  The    Insect  Sepa. 

In  various  places'^  in  the  text  of  Unas  there  are  series 
of  spells  which  were  recited  with  the  view  of  keeping  off 
from  the  king's  body  in  its  tomb  the  attacks  of  serpents, 
scorpions,     and     other     venomous     reptiles.       Among 

such  reptiles  is    mentioned  the  "  Sepa 


n 


D 


crrrmro  » 


of    Horus  "  or,  as   in  line  537,   "  Sepa  " 

without   any    reference    to    Horus.      In   Teta,   line  302, 

^  Missionary  Travels,  p.  143. 

2  Pioneering  on  the  Congo,  Vol.  I,  p.  393. 

^  Third  Report  of  Wellcome  Research  Laboratories, '^.  174. 

^  Line  301  ff.,  and  1.  532  ff. 

^^'     □    ^^  'm.  ^  ^^^^^^^  •     Unas,  I.  329 ;  Teta,  1.  300. 


The  Insect  Sepa  235 

we  have  A^  \\  v\   >fttTm4+H+«  ,  and  in  line  304,  "  the 

D    inrK  _M^  _H^ 

great    Sepa"   ~^^"^>iiH<  ^^'^        In    the     Middle 
Empire  we  have  the  form  AV  ^|\   hh-j  3. ,   and  in 

Theban     papyri     of     the     Book     of     the     Dead    — — 

K\^i'     T}^\-^r       The    variant 
forms   of  the   determinative  which  are  placed  after  the 
word  show  that  the  scribes  had  no  very  clear  idea  of 
the   form   of  the   Se/>a,  but  the   determinative  in   Unas, 
1.    329,    proves    conclusively    that    Se/^a    was   a    many- 
legged  reptile  or  insect,  which  had  poison  fangs,  or  bags, 
one  on  each  side  of  its  vicious  mouth.     On  submitting 
a  copy  of  this  determinative  to  the  Hon.  Walter  Roth- 
schild he  at  once  pronounced  it  to  represent  a  caterpillar 
of  an  allied  family  to  the   South  American    "  Megalo- 
pygidae."     He   showed    me  a  specimen  of  this  family, 
and  the  accuracy  of  the  Egyptian  representation  of  a 
member  of  the  allied  family  was  seen  to  be  remarkable. 
The  creature  is  about  three  inches  long,  and  is  covered 
with  a  mass  of  orange-coloured  hair,  about  half  an  inch 
thick.      Each  hair  is  capable  of  ejecting  poison  into  the 
hand  of  anyone  who  touches  it  incautiously  ;  the  contents 
of  even  a  single  hair  produce  very  severe  inflammation, 
whilst  the   discharge  into  the  human   body  from  many 
hairs    would    be    followed    by    death.       These    charac- 
teristics   of    the    Sepa   caterpillar-family    enable   us    to 
understand  why  the  Egyptians  classed  it  with  venomous 
serpents,  scorpions,  etc.     Witch-doctors  are  said  to  make 
use    of  the    poison    distilled    from    caterpillars    in    their 
"  medicines,"  but  details  of  the  effect  of  it  are  hard  to 
acquire.     We  may  note  in  passing  that  the  spells  against 
serpents,  etc.,  in  the  text  of  Unas  prove  that  when  they 
were    written     Egypt    must    have    been    overrun    with 
venomous   snakes,    reptiles,   and    insects,  just  as   is  the 
Congo  Forest  at  the  present  day.     Sir  Harry  Johnston 
enumerates   some  of  these,   viz.,    mosquitoes,    tsetse   fly 

'^  Recueil,  torn.  XXX,  p.  187. 

2  Chapter  XVII,  1.  87. 

3  Chapter  LXIX,  11.  7  and  9. 


236     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

I 
(causer  of  sleeping  sickness),  sand  flies,  hippo  flies,  jiggers       I 
or   burrowing  fleas,   driver  ants,  brown   ants,  ants  that       ; 
stink,  cockroaches  two  inches  long,  locusts  four  inches       i 
long,  mason  wasps,  wasps  with  an  almost  deadly  sting,        ; 
beetles,  caterpillars  that  produce  a  skin  disease  by  the 
slightest  contact    with    their   poisonous    hairs,    aromatic       ; 
bugs,  shrieking   locustids,    pouncing   crickets,   mantises, 
spiders,  ticks,  the  huge  Pandinus  scorpion  six  inches  long, 
centipedes    eight    inches    long,    with    a   very    poisonous 
sting,   and  huge,   but  harmless   millipedes.^     The  adult       '. 
millipede   ejects  a  dark  liquid   which  stains  the  hands,       j 
and  is  said  to  be  poisonous,  if  taken  internally.^  | 

13.  Snake-worship. 

The    Egyptians    regarded    certain    kinds    of   snakes    \j\ 
with  reverence,  and  their  religious  books  contain  many 
allusions  to  them  ;  on  the  other  hand,  the  mythological 
writings    show    that    some    snakes    or    serpents    were 
regarded  as  incarnations  of  evil.     Among  these  are  the     '^ 
serpents   the  names  of  which  are  given  in   the  text  of      I 
Unas,   and  several   others  are   mentioned   in  the    Book      I 
Am    Tuat   and    the    Book  of   Gates ;    but  all   of  them       I 
appear  to  have  been  regarded  as  forms  of  the  monster 

serpent  Apep  "mm  ,  which  was  the  type  of  all  physical 

and    moral    evil.      In    short,    the    serpent   was    either   a  1 

power  for  good  or  the  incarnation  of  diabolical  cunning  I 

and  wickedness.     Similar  views  are  held  concerninof  the  ' 
serpent  by  modern  African  peoples,  as  the  narratives  of 

travellers  testify,  and  if  we  had  sufficient  information  we  ' 
should  probably  find  that  the  snakes  which  were  revered 

in  old  days  are  revered  now,  and  that  those  which  were  i 
regarded    as    evil    beings   are    still    so    regarded.      The 

Book   of    the    Dead    mentions    (Chapter    CVIII)    the  , 
serpent  Ami-hemf,  which  lived  on  the  top  of  a  mountain 

and  was  thirty  cubits^  iong,  and  the  Papyrus  Gol^nischeff  *  ' 

also  mentions  a  serpent  thirty  cubits  long,  which  had  a  ! 

^   George  Grenfell,  Vol.  I,  p.  232,  Vol.  II,  p.  937. 

^  Nassau,  Fetichism,  p.  199. 

'  About  forty-five  feet. 

^  Recueil  dc  Travaux,  torn.  XXVIII. 


Snake- worship  237 

beard  two  cubits  long,  and  which  conversed  with  the  ship- 
wrecked mariner  on  the  enchanted  island.  The  longest 
serpent  now  living  in  Africa  seems  to  be  the  python, 
which  is,  however,  less  than  45  feet  long,  as  the  following 
instances  prove.  Du  Chaillu's  men  ate  a  python  13  feet 
long  ;^  Schweinfurth  saw  a  python  1 5  feet  long  f 
Sir  Harry  Johnston's  longest  python  was  17  feet  long  ;^ 
a  python  of  Du  Chaillu  was  18  feet  long  ;'^  Mr.  Hunter 
Reid  killed  a  python  near  Boma,  the  skin  of  which  when 
dry  was  25  feet  2  inches  long  and  2  feet  7  inches  wide  ;^ 
Bentley  says  the  python  sometimes  attains  a  greater 
length  than  30  feet ;  Mr.  Alldridge  saw  a  dead  python  ' 
33  feet  long  and  6  inches  in  diameter,  which  was  being  f 
carried  away  by  a  crocodile  f  and  the  longest  skin 
measured  by  Miss  Kingsley,  a  damaged  one,  was 
26  feet.  She  mentions  a  python  which  was  brought 
into  Creek  Town  in  the  Rev.  Mr.  Goldie's  time  which  1 
must  have  been  over  40  feet  in  length."^  The  Egyptians 
represented  certain  snakes  with  a  head  at  each  end  of 
the  body,^  and  Miss  Kingsley  mentions  one  serpent 
which  the  natives  declared  to  have  '*  a  head  at  each 
end."^  The  Egyptians  drew  figures  of  serpents  with 
human  heads  and  legs,  and  the  wings  of  a  bird,  but  this 
is  not  very  remarkable  when  we  remember  that  even 
Herodotus  and  Aristotle  believed  in  "flying  serpents." 
Reverence  is  still  paid  to  the  serpent  in  many  parts 
of  Africa.  Thus  the  Dinkas  revere  pythons, ^^  and  call 
snakes  in  general  their  "  brethren "  ;^^  they  wash  them 
with  milk  and  anoint  them  with  butter.^^     The  python  is 

^  Adventures,  p.  57. 

2  Heart  of  Africa,  Vol.  I,  p.  83. 

^   Uga7ida,  Vol.  I,  p.  118. 

^  Adventures,  p.  145. 

^  George  Grenfell,  Vol.  I,  p.  270.  Its  stomach  contained  one  peck 
of  brass,  copper,  and  iron  rings.  The  natives  walked  along  its  back  as 
on  a  big  log. 

^  Sherbro  and  Its  Hiriterland,  p.  109. 

*"    West  African  Travels,  p.  547. 

^  Am-Tuat,  Division  X. 

^    IVest  African  Travels,  p.  161. 
^'^  Stanley,  Darkest  Africa,  Vol.  I,  p.  424. 
^^  Schweinfurth,  Heart  of  Africa,  Vol.  I,  p.  158. 
^^  Stanley,   Darkest  Africa,  Vol.   I,    p.  424 ;   and   see    Frobenius, 
Heiden-Neger,  p.  344. 

VOL.  II.  R 


238     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

the  great  Juju  snake  of  the  Brassmen,  and  their 
titular  guardian  angel,  and  no  Brass  king  would  sign 
a  treaty  with  the  British  Government  that  did  not 
include  a  clause  by  which  any  European  who  killed 
or  molested  a  python  was  made  liable  to  a  fine.^  The 
Gallas  pay  great  reverence  to  the  serpent,  which  they 
regard  as  the  mother  of  the  human  race,  and  they  in 
this  respect  follow  the  example  of  the  Pagan  Ethiopians, 
whose  deity  was  a  huge  serpent.^  The  Bari  think  that 
a  python  called  Yukanye  was  the  mother  of  their  tribe, 
and  they  keep  tame  serpents  in  their  houses,  and  all 
over  the  Blue  Nile  district  a  certain  kind  of  python 
is  venerated.  The  Dinkas  work  witchcraft  by  means  of 
snakes,  and  the  snake-magician  is  believed  to  be  able  to 
cause  his  snake  to  injure  a  man,  or  his  family,  or  cattle. 
If  a  man  is  injured  by  a  snake  in  any  way,  he  promptly 
tries  to  find  out  who  is  its  "master,"  so  that  he  may 
propitiate  him.^ 

14.  The  Crocodile. 

The  Egyptians  reverenced  the  crocodile  from  the 
earliest  times,  but  their  reverence  was  the  result  of  fear, 
and  the  creature  was  always  regarded  as  the  incarnation 
of  a  terribly  evil  power  which  manifested  itself  in  the 
destruction  of  human  and  animal  life.  The  Egyptians 
endeavoured  to  placate  the  Crocodile-god  by  means  of 
offerings  and  sacrifices,  and  many  modern  African 
peoples  follow  their  example.  Shrines  dedicated  to 
the  crocodile  existed  in  some  of  the  cities  of  the  Delta 
under  the  Ancient  Empire,  and  under  the  Middle 
Empire  the  cult  of  the  creature  was  common  in  Egypt. 
The  Book  of  the  Dead  contains  a  spell  (Chapter 
LXXXVIII)  which  gave  the  deceased  the  power  to 
assume  the  form  of  the  "divine  crocodile,  which 
dwelleth  in  terror,  and  seizeth  its  prey,"  and  the  belief 
is  common  in  Africa  at  the  present  day  that  a  human 
spirit  can  take  possession  of  a  crocodile,  and  direct  the 
creature  to  carry  out  some  purpose,  good  or  bad.*     Two 

^  Kingsley,  Travels  in  West  Africa,  p.  483. 

"^  Krapf,  Travels,  p.  81. 

'  Anderson,  Third  Report,  pp.  355,  356. 

*  Kingsley,  Travels  in  West  Africa,  p.  538. 


The  Crocodile  239 

other  spells  (Chapters  XXXI  and  XXXII)  enabled  the 
deceased  to  drive  away  the  four  crocodiles  which  dwelt 
in  the  four  quarters  of  the  world,  and  attacked  the  dead 
in  order  to  seize  upon  the  heka,  or  magical  powers  and 
words,  on  which  they  depended  for  existence  in  the 
Other  World.  In  the  Book  of  Gates  (Division  IX)  we 
find  that  Apep,  the  monster  serpent  which  endeavoured 
to  prevent  the  sun  from  rising,  and  the  cause  of  storms, 
whirlwinds,  thunder  and  lightning,  is  accompanied  by  a 
fiend  in  the  form  of  a  crocodile,  which  has  a  tail  ter- 
minating in  the  head  of  a  serpent,  and  is  called  Shesshes, 
or  Sessi.^  This  is,  undoubtedly,  the  crocodile  of  which 
figures  were  burnt  at  stated  intervals  on  certain  days,  in 
the  great  temples  of  Egypt,  down  to  the  Ptolemaic 
Period,  with  the  view  of  preventing  the  brewing  of 
storms  in  the  skies,  and  of  assisting  the  Sun-god  Ra 
to  rise  in  the  sky.  In  beliefs  connected  with  the  cult 
of  Osiris  the  crocodile  appears  as  a  friend  of  this  god 
and  of  his  son  Horus,  but  the  fact  remains  that  the 
creature  was  held  sacred  in  some  parts  of  Egypt,  and 
was  slain  as  a  noxious  reptile  in  others.^  The  centre  of 
its  worship  in  Roman  times  was  the  city  of  Arsinoe 
(Crocodilopolis),  where  the  sacred  crocodile  was  kept 
by  itself  in  a  lake,  and  was  fed  with  bread,  flesh,  and 
wine  by  its  priests  ;  bracelets  were  placed  on  its  fore- 
legs, and  gold  ear-rings  in  its  ears.^  Another  place 
famous  for  the  cult  of  the  crocodile  was  Thebes,  and 
reverence  for  it  seems  to  have  persisted  in  the  Thebaid 
till  the  eighteenth  century  of  our  era,  for  at  that  time 
the  "  king  of  the  crocodiles "  lived  at  Armant,  eight 
miles  south  of  Thebes.^  According  to  Wiedemann,^  a 
gigantic  crocodile  was  venerated  at  Khartum  in  the 
reign  of  Muhammad  Alt.  It  would  be  interesting  to 
know  if  this  crocodile  was  an  ordinary  Crocodilus 
niloticus,  or  a  Slender-snouted  crocodile  {Crocodilus 
c at aphr actus),    or   a    Short-headed  crocodile  {Crocodihis 


r^r-i  n  C30  n ,    or   ;^  (1  (j  iSism . 


2  Herodotus,  II,  69.  3  Strabo,  I,  §  38. 

*  Sieber,  Beschreibendes  Verzeichniss^  Vienna,  1820,  p.  59  ;  Piickler, 
Aus  Mehemed  All's  Reich,  III,  p.  250. 
^  Museon,  Vol.  VI,  2,  pp.  1 13-128. 

R    2 


240     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

osteoloemus)}  In  size  the  crocodile  is  often  over- 
estimated, and  Sir  Harry  Johnston  says  that  the  biggest 
his  party  ever  shot  in  Uganda  was  1 5  feet  long.^  The 
largest  measured  by  Miss  Kingsley  was  22  feet  3  inches 
long,^  and  Bentley  killed  one  which  was  17  feet  6  inches 
long."*  At  Dixcove  and  in  the  Lower  Congo  the 
crocodile  is  worshipped,^  and  in  some  parts  of  West 
Africa  its  intelligence  is  believed  by  the  natives  to  be 
of  a  very  high  order.  Thus  Stanley  tells  us  that  the 
chief  of  Ukara  had  a  crocodile  which  was  as  docile  and 
obedient  to  his  master  as  a  dog,  and  as  intelligent  as  a 
man.  The  chief  coveted  a  pretty  woman  who  was  in 
the  house  of  Lukongeh,  but  could  find  no  way  of  getting 
possession  of  her.  At  length  he  told  his  crocodile  of  his 
wishes,  and  told  it  to  lie  in  wait  in  the  rushes  near 
Msossi  until  the  woman  came  to  the  lake  to  bathe,  and 
then  to  seize  her  and  bring  her  over  to  him.  The  next 
day  at  noon  the  woman  was  in  the  house  of  the  chief  of 
Ukara!  It  was  also  said  that  Machunda,  the  father  of 
Lukongeh,  owned  a  crocodile  that  stole  an  Arab's  wife 
and  carried  her  across  the  country  to  the  king's  house. ^ 
The  Christian  monks  of  Egypt  made  use  of  crocodiles, 
and  Palladius  tells  us  that  Apellen  ordered  a  crocodile  to 
carry  him  across  the  river  and  that  the  creature  did  so 
twice.^  Among  many  Sudani  tribes  a  belief  in  the 
efficacy  of  the  genitals  of  the  crocodile  as  an  aphrodisiac 
is  current,  and  portions  of  them  are  powdered  and 
swallowed  by  men  who  wish  to  be  blessed  with  large 
families.  Mr.  Bousfield  says  that  the  penis  of  the 
crocodile  eaten  with  spices  is  considered  to  be  the 
most  potent  means  of  increasing  sexual  power  in  the 
male.^ 


1  These  are  the  three  chief  classes  mentioned  by  Johnston,  George 
Grenfell^  Vol.  II,  p.  929. 

2  Uganda,  Vol.  I,  p.  406. 
2  Travels,  p.  546. 

*  Pioneering  on  the  Congo,  Vol.  II,  p.  249. 

5  Kingsley,  West  African  Studies,  p.  140. 

6  Through  the  Dark  Continent,  Vol.  I,  p.  253. 

■^  Budge,  Paradise  of  the  Holy  Fathers,  Vol.  I,  p.  354. 
**  Bousfield,  Native  Methods  of  Treatment  of  Diseases  in  Kassala 
{Third  Report  of  the  Wellcome  Research  Laboratories,  p.  274). 


The  Use  of  the  Net  241 

15,  The  Use  of  the  Net  in  Fowling,   Fishing,  and 

Hunting. 

At  a  very  early  period  in  their  history  the  Egyptians 
believed  that  the  spirits  of  the  dead,  in  journeying  from 
this  world  to  the  next,  would  encounter  beings  equipped 
with  nets  which  they  used  for  catching  unwary  souls  who 
were  travellintr.  To  ouard  souls  ao^ainst  this  danger,  the 
priests  drew  up  a  series  of  spells,  copies  of  which  form 
Chapters  CLIIIa  and  CLIIIb  of  the  Book  of  the  Dead. 
They  also  provided  the  former  Chapter  with  the  picture 
of  a  magical  net,  every  part  of  which  had  a  magical 
name,  and  in  the  accompanying  text  all  the  names  are 
given.  Apparently  souls  flew  through  the  air  to  their 
abode  in  the  Other  World,  and  they  were  sometimes 
caught  in  the  net  of  the  "fierce  fowler  whose  fingers  are 
hidden,"^  but  he  who  was  provided  with  the  proper  spells 
was  able  to  avoid  him  altogether,  or  to  escape  from  him. 
The  name  of  this  great  fowler  was  Her-f-ha-f,  or 
Maa-ha-f,^  who  ferried  the  dead  over  the  Egyptian 
Styx,  and  he  was  assisted  by  the  "fowlers,"  who  on 
some  orreat  occasion  had  caupfht  the  fiends  and  the 
Khetiu-ta  in  his  net.  The  net  depicted  on  the  papyrus 
was  a  picture  of  the  net  used  by  him,  but  if  the  deceased 
knew  the  names  of  all  its  parts  it  would  be  powerless  to 
enmesh  him.  In  the  Book  of  Gates  (Division  IX)  we 
see  the  net  being  used  by  those  who  are  going  out  to 
work  spells  on  Apep  and  Shesshes,  the  enemies  of  Ra. 
The  company  consists  of  six  men,  four  apes,  and  four 
women,  and  in  front  of  them  stand  three  men  armed  with 
harpoons. 

The  net  is  employed  in  hunting  by  many  African 
peoples  just  as  it  was  by  the  Egyptians.  Thus,  among 
the  Bongos,  nets  are  used  in  all  the  battues  for  game,  and 
the  people  devote  as  much  attention  to  the  construction 
of  these   nets   as  they  do  to  the  weaving  of  their  fish- 


1  <^i9 


Chapter 


CLIIIa,  1.  7. 


242     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

snares  and  basket  pots.^  The  king  of  Toro's  men  were 
provided  with  extensive  nets,  and  they  caught  a  large 
chimpanzee  in  one  of' them, ^  and  the  Bantu  negroes 
sometimes  catch  antelopes  in  nets.^  The  Sango  and 
Mongwandi  are  fond  of  eating  monkeys  and  chimpanzees, 
and  when  they  go  hunting,  they  frighten  these  creatures 
into  isolated  trees,  and  then  drive  them  into  nets  which 
they  spread  about  the  feet  of  them.*  The  Ababua  drive 
game,  with  the  help  of  dogs,  into  enormous  nets,  where 
the  killing  takes  place. ^  At  Fatiko,  Sir  Samuel  Baker 
says,  the  favourite  method  of  hunting  was  by  means  of 
the  net.  Every  man  in  the  country  was  provided  with 
a  net  of  strong  cord.  This  was  twelve  yards  long  and 
about  eleven  feet  wide,  if  stretched  to  its  maximum.  The 
meshes  were  about  six  inches  square.*'  All  the  Bakalai 
tribes  enjoy  ashiga  or  net  hunting.  The  nets  are  made 
of  the  fibre  of  the  pineapple  plant,  or  of  the  fibres  of  a 
kind  of  tree,  with  which  stout  threads  are  mixed.  They 
are  from  sixty  to  eighty  feet  long  and  five  feet  wide,  and 
every  village  possesses  several.^ 

16.  Strong  Names. 

A  king  of  Egypt  under  the  Middle  and  New  Empires 
usually  possessed  five  names,  and  each  of  these  pro- 
claimed his  strength,  valour,  and  power.  He  bore  the 
first  name  as  the  successor  of  Horus,  the  second  as  the 
chosen  one  of  the  goddesses  Nekhebit  and  Uatchit, 
the  third  as  the  Golden  Horus,  the  fourth  as  the  King 
of  the  South  and  North,  and  the  fifth  as  the  son  of  Ra. 
The  various  names  which  are  given  to  Rameses  H  may 
be  counted  by  the  dozen,  and  the  custom  of  giving  such 
"  mighty  names  "  to  the  king  of  Egypt  finds  its  parallel 
in  the  custom  which  is  widespread  among  many  modern 
African  peoples  of  calling  the  chief  or  king  by  "  strong 
names."     Thus  the  king  of  the  Bavili  has  seven  titles,  one 

^  Schweinfurth,  Heart  of  Africa^  Vol.  I,  p.  272. 

2  Johnston,  Uganda,  Vol.  I,  p.  357. 

3  Ibid.,  Vol.  II,  p.  586. 

■*  Johnston,  George  Grenfell,  Vol.  II,  p.  780. 

^  Ibid.,  p.  776. 

^  Ismailia,  Vol.  II,  p.  439. 

"^   Du  ChaillUj  Adventures,  p.  106. 


Strong  Names  243 

of  which  he  does  not  receive  until  after  his  death.^ 
Among  the  "  strong  names  "  of  Daho,  the  "  Omniscient," 
king  of  Dahomey,  1625 — 1650,  were  "  Donun,"  "the 
all-wise,"  "  Akwazhu,"  "  the  leveller  of  his  enemies,"  etc. 
Gezu,  18 1 8 — 1858,  had  many  strong  names,  among 
them  being : — 

Bodun-ganu-minh,  i.e.,  "  fetish  conquering  every- 
thing." 

Eganu-menseh-Minhwe  Gezu,  "  he  conquered  all  his 
enemies,  so  everybody  comes  to  Gezu." 

Gan  kaka  de  jeh,  "a  conqueror  for  whom  everybody 
will  wait." 

Vokhe  Mau,  "  the  scarlet  bird  of  the  gods."^ 

Among  the  titles  of  Gelele,  the  successor  of  Gezu, 
were  : — 

Glere,  "heavy,"  i.e.,  the  "king  who  cannot  be 
moved." 

Kini-kini-kini,  "  dragon  with  claws,"  ^^.,  "  he  tears  all 
in  pieces." 

Tenge  makan  fenkpon,  "rock,  finger-nail  cannot 
scratch  it." 

Ahorsu  Yemabu,  "  Shadow-king,"  i.e.,  "he  who  will 
never  be  lost  in  his  kingdom."^ 

The  king  of  Dahomey  is  double,  not  merely  binony- 
mous,  nor  dual,  like  the  spiritual  Mikado  and  the 
temporal  Tycoon  of  Japan,  but  two  in  one  ;  he  is  king 
of  the  city,  and  he  is  king  of  the  Bush,  i.e.,  of  the  farmer 
folk  and  of  the  country  as  opposed  to  the  city.  This 
Bush-king,  Addokpon,  though  a  wholly  imaginary  person, 
enjoys  all  the  pomp  and  state  of  a  real  king.  The  Bush- 
king  double  of  Gelele  had  his  palace  at  Akpwe-ho,  a 
few  miles  from  Abomey,  on  the  Toffo  road,  an  official 
mother,  a  chief  executioner,  a  master  of  ceremonies,  male 
and  female  officers,  eunuchs,  and  wives.  And  a  number 
of  criminals  and  victims  were  set  apart  to  be  slain  at  this 
Bush-king's  So-Sin  Customs.  The  idea  of  the  Bush- 
king  is  said  to  have  been  evolved  by  Gezu,  the  father  of 

1  Dennett,  At  the  Back  of  the  Black  Man's  Mind,  p.  loo. 

2  Skertchley,  Dahomey  as  It  is,  p.  45 1  ff. 

3  Burton,  Mission  to  Gelele,  Vol.  II,  p.  333. 


244     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

Gelele,  for  the  purpose  of  enabling  the  king  to  trade 
and  to  carry  on  commercial  enterprises  ;  but  evidence  in 
support  of  this  view  is  wanting.  The  idea  of  the 
"double"  is  a  very  ancient  one  in  Africa,  as  we  have 
seen,  and  it  has  always  been  there.  The  existence  of 
the  Horus  name  among  the  ancient  Egyptians  proves 
that  the  king  had  a  special  "  double,"  which  must  have 
been  supposed  to  exercise  sovereignty  in  some  way,  and 
to  have  been  honoured  by  the  people  as  a  king.  An 
interesting  passage  occurs  in  the  LXXXVth  Chapter 
of  the  Book  of  the  Dead  which  seems  to  indicate  that 
the  deceased  expected  to  have  two  existences,  one  as  a 
dweller  in  the  city,  and  the  other  as  a  dweller  in  the 
country.  He  says  :  "  I  am  a  young  man  in  the  city,  and 
a  youth  in  the  country  ;  as  for  my  name,  my  name  is 
the  '  Imperishable  one.'  "^ 

17.  The  Election  of  a  King. 

On  the  Stele  of  the  Coronation^  is  an  account  of  the 
election  of  the  Nubian  king  Aspelta.  Four  groups  of 
officials  assembled  with  the  Royal  Brethren  who  were 
eligible  for  the  throne,  and  introduced  them  into  the 
presence  of  the  god  Amen-Ra  of  Napata,  who,  however, 
selected  none  of  them.  They  then  introduced  Aspelta 
by  himself  to  the  god,  who  at  once  "selected,"  i.e., 
touched  him,  and  declared  him  to  be  the  man  whom  he 
had  chosen  to  be  king,  and  the  officials  and  all  the 
people  at  once  accepted  him  as  their  lord.  A  modern 
parallel  to  this  election  is  found  in  Uganda.  On  the 
death  of  the  king,  the  Katikiro,  or  chief  officer  of  state, 
at  once  summons  the  Kasuja,  or  Keeper  of  the  Princes, 
and  in  the  presence  of  the  chiefs  asks  him  who  among 
the  Princes  is  most  qualified  to  reign.  Having  given 
his  opinion,  the  chiefs  order  him  to  collect  the  Princes. 
When   this  is    done  he   forms   them   up    into   line,   and 


2  Mariette,  Monuments  Divers^  Plate  9. 


Pottery  Made  by  Hand  245 

touches  one  of  them  with  his  hand,  and  the  prince  so 
touched  becomes  at  once  king  of  Uganda,  and  makes  all 
arrangements  for  the  burial  of  the  dead  king.^ 

18.  Pottery  Made  by  Hand. 

During  the  Predynastic  Period  and  the  early 
dynasties  the  Egyptians  made  their  pottery,  even  the 
largest  vessels,  by  hand,  and  the  use  of  the  potter's 
wheel  appears  to  have  been  unknown.  Their  skill  in 
this  craft  was  remarkable,  and  the  proportions  of  the 
vessels  which  they  turned  out  are  so  true,  and  the 
circular  shapes  so  exact,  that  it  is  sometimes  almost 
impossible  to  believe  that  they  did  not  employ  some 
mechanical  means  in  their  pottery  work.  Many  modern 
peoples  in  Central  Africa  possess  similar  skill  in  the  craft 
of  the  potter,  e.g.,  the  Dyoor,  of  whose  work  Schwein- 
furth  says  :  "  It  is  remarkable  how  they  manage  with 
the  mere  hand  to  turn  out  immense  vessels  which,  even  to 
a  critical  eye,  have  all  the  appearance  of  being  made  on 
a  wheel.^  Among  the  Bongos  the  women,  without 
the  help  of  any  turning-wheel,  succeed  in  producing 
most  artistic  specimens  of  pottery.  The  larger  water 
bottles  are  sometimes  a  yard  in  diameter.  Handles  are 
uniformly  wanting,  and  to  compensate  for  this  want, 
their  whole  outer  surface  is  made  rather  rough  by  being 
ornamented  by  a  number  of  triangles  and  zig-zag  lines, 
which  form  all  manner  of  concentric  and  spiral  patterns. 
The  gourd-platters  and  bottles  are  generally  decorated 
with  different  dark  rows  of  triangles.^  In  all  Congoland 
the  potter's  wheel  is  unknown  ;  all  pottery  is  made  by 
hand,  and  women  are  the  potters.  In  the  west  beautiful 
and  elaborate  designs  and  careful  choice  of  colours  and 
materials  make  their  appearance  ;  this  is  probably  due 
to  the  influence  of  the  Sudani  peoples  in  the  north  and 
of  the  early  Portuguese.*  The  only  implements  used  by 
the  Nandi  in  pottery  making  are  :  The  handle  of  a  hoe, 
which   is  employed  for  pounding  and  stirring  the  clay, 

^  Cunningham,  Uganda,  p.  224. 

"^  Heart  of  Africa,  Vol.  I,  p.  212. 

'  Ibid.,  p.  292. 

^  Johnston,  George  Grenfell,  Vol.  II,  p.  812. 


246     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

the  shoulder-blade  of  an  ox,  a  stone,  a  seed  pod,  some 
plaited  grass,  and  three  pieces  of  straw,  with  which  the 
pots  are  smoothed  and  ornamented.^  At  Stanley  Pool 
the  natives  had  no  idea  of  the  potter's  wheel,  but  putting 
a  piece  of  calabash  under  a  lump  of  clay,  to  make  it  turn 
freely,  they  very  deftly  turn  it  round  slowly  by  hand, 
and  make  some  very  thin  regular  ware.  It  is  hard  some- 
times to  realize  that  the  articles  have  not  been  "  thrown  " 
on  the  wheel,  so  round  are  they,  and  even.*  The  Obbo 
people  have  no  knowledge  of  the  potter's  wheel,  and 
the  circular  form  is  obtained  entirely  by  hand.^  The 
Bubis  of  Fernando  Po  also  make  their  pottery  without  a 
wheel.*  Of  native  pottery  in  general  Dr.  Livingstone 
says :  "  The  pots  for  cooking,  holding  water  and  beer, 
"  are  made  by  the  women,  and  the  form  is  preserved  by 
"  the  eye  alone,  for  no  sort  of  machine  is  ever  used."^ 

19.   Finger-Nails. 

In  one  of  the  Chapters  of  the  Daily  Cult^  which 
deals  with  the  placing  of  the  hands  on  the  coffer  to 
**  make  purification,"  the  priest  declares  to  the  god  that 
he  has  "done  away,"  i.e.,  cut,  his  nails,  in  imitation  of 
Thoth,  who,  on  a  certain  occasion,  cut  his  nails.  These 
words  show  that  the  cutting  or  cleansing  of  the  nails 
was  an  important  act  in  making  the  body  of  the  priest 
ceremonially  pure.  What  exactly  was  the  idea  which 
underlay  this  act  of  purification  cannot  be  said,  but  its 
importance  is  evident.  In  connection  with  this  it  is 
interesting  to  note  that  the  cannibal  Makarakas,  among 
other  cleanly  habits,  include  that  of  keeping  the  finger- 
nails tidy.''' 

20.  Figures  and  Counting. 

The  Egyptians  counted  from  one  to  nine  by  means  of 
short  strokes,  and  they  had  signs  for  ten  n,  hundred  (2, 

1  Hollis,  Nandi,  p.  35. 

2  Bentley,  Pioneering  on  the  Congo,  Vol.  II,  p.  37. 
^  Baker,  Albert  JVyanza,  p.  196. 

*  Kingsley,  Travels  in  West  Africa,  P-  65. 
^  Last  Journals,  Vol.  I,  p.  59. 
^  Moret,  Culte  Divin,  p.  170. 
'^  Junker,  Travels,  Vol.  I,  p.  245. 


Figures  and  Counting  247 

thousand    T,    ten    thousand    |,    hundred    thousand    j^, 

million  ^,  and  ten  million  Q ;    thus  it  is  clear  that  they 

could  count  up  to  very  large  numbers.  The  modern 
Baganda  are  also  skilled  arithmeticians,  for  before  the 
Europeans  entered  their  country  they  had  developed  the 
expressions  for  numerals,  and  used  a  decimal  system  of 
calculation.  They  have  words  for  every  multiple  of  ten 
up  to  twenty  millions.^  Among  the  Egyptians  the 
number  seven  appears  to  have  represented  completeness, 
for  we  have  the  Seven  Hathors,  the  Seven  Arits,  the 
Seven  Cows  and  their  Bull,  the  Seven  Spirits,  the  Seven 
Uraei,  the  Seven-headed  Serpent,  etc.  The  number 
nine  also  seems  to  represent  finality  and  completeness, 
and  the  Companies  of  the  Gods  each  contained  nine 
members.  And  we  have  Nine  Mourners,  Nine  Watchers, 
Nine  Smeriu,  Nine  Task-masters,  Nine  Followers  of 
Osiris,  Nine  Holders  of  the  Rope  for  measuring  land,  etc. 
Among  modern  African  peoples  the  number  nine  is 
regarded  as  sacred.  When  a  man  is  killed  by  lightning 
in  Uganda  nine  witches  are  sent  for,  who  surround  the 
body.=^  When  Lukedi  became  king,  he  killed  nine  fowls, 
nine  cows,  nine  old  women  and  nine  young  women,  and 
he  made  nine  loads  of  beads  into  a  head-dress,  which  he 
wore.^  A  magician  works  magic  by  means  of  nine  kauri 
shells  sewn  on  to  a  strip  of  leather,  with  which  he  makes 
the  sign  of  the  Cross."*  In  the  Okijun  country  a  fair  is 
held  every  ninth  day.^  A  woman  does  not  work  in  the 
fields  for  nine  days  after  the  birth  of  her  child. '^  Gelele 
was,  according  to  his  reckoning,  the  ninth  king  of  the 
Dahoman  dynasty,  and  at  the  Sin  Kwain  Custom  he 
made  nine  stools,  nine  hammocks,  nine  flags,  and  nine 
swords  to  march  in  procession."^  The  number  no  seems 
to  have  possessed  some  special  significance,  and  the 
Egyptians   regarded   it  as  the   utmost  limit   of  a  man's 

^  Johnston,    Uganda^   Vol.   II,    p.    695.       Compare    Cunningham, 
Uganda^  p.  298. 

-  Johnston,  Uganda,  Vol.  II,  p.  589. 

^  Ibid.,  p.  600. 

4  Ibid.,  p.  678. 

*  Kingsley,  Travels  in  West  Africa,  p.  475. 

«  Ibid.,  p.  793. 

^  Skertchley,  Dahomey  as  It  is,  p.  402. 


248     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

life.^  Thus  in  a  papyrus^  mention  is  made  of  some 
person  who  Hved  upon  earth  no  years,  and  Nefer- 
Renpet,  in  a  prayer  cut  on  a  libation  tank  in  the  British 
Museum,  entreats  the  gods  to  allow  him  to  live  1 10  years 

\     ,  provided   that   they  give   him   health   and   strength 

to  enjoy  them.^  In  connection  with  this  number  may  be 
mentioned  the  custom  in  West  Africa  of  giving  a  man 
who  has  committed  some  serious  offence  1 10  lashes  with 
a  whip.  Thus  Du  Chaillu  commuted  the  punishment  of 
death  to  a  flogging  of  no  lashes  in  the  case  of  one 
Boulay  who  had  tried  to  poison  him.*  Whether  the 
Egyptians  believed  in  certain  numbers  being  lucky  and 
others  unlucky  cannot  be  said,  but  it  is  probable  that 
they  did,  and  that  they  used  numbers  in  divining. 
Among  modern  diviners  by  means  of  numbers  may  be 
mentioned  the  Nandi,  who  regard  2,  3,  5,  8,  and  10  as 
lucky,  especially  3  and  5,  and  i,  4,  6,  7,  and  9  as 
unlucky  ;^  the  most  unlucky  number  is  i  and  the  least  so 
is  4. 

21.  Time,  the  Year,  Seasons,  etc. 

The  Egyptians  divided  the  year  into  three  seasons, 
each  containing  four  months  ;  each  month  contained 
thirty  days,  or  three  weeks  of  ten  days  each.^  Five 
intercalary  days  were  added  to  make  up  a  year  of 
365  days.  They  conceived  of  very  long  periods  of 
time,  £.£-., 

iii   ^^  ^^^^  ^^  millions  of  years. 

J^ll    =  one  million  of  millions  of  millions  of  years. 

^  Egyptians_  sometimes  attained  to  a  great  age,  perhaps  actually  to 
no  years,  for  Ankh-p-Khart  tells  us  that  he  ministered  in  a  temple  for 
80  years,  and  when  he  died  he  must  have  been  100  years  old,  or  more. 
See  his  statue  in  the  British  Museum,  No.  820. 

2  Anastasi,  IV,  p.  6,  1.  14. 

2  Central  Saloon,  No.  605  {Guide,  p.  167). 

^  Adventures  in  Equatorial  Africa,  p.  245. 

'"  Hollis,  Nandi,  p.  89. 

^  In  late  times  the  year  consisted  of  12  months,  each  month  con- 
taining 29  days,  or  4  weeks  of  7^  days  each,  and  a  supplementary 
month  of  17;^  days  (equal  i  decade  and  i  week).  See  Daressy,  La 
Semaine  des  Egyptiens  in  Annates  du  Service,  Vol.  X,  pp.  21-23,  180, 
182. 


Time,  the  Year,  Seasons  249 

In  early  Dynastic  times  each  year  was  named  by  the 
most  important  event  which  took  place  in  it.  The 
Mandingoes  in  Mungo  Park's  day  also  distinguished 
each  year  by  a  particular  name,  founded  on  some  remark- 
able occurrence  which  happened  in  that  year.  Thus 
they  say,  "the  year  of  the  Farbanna  war,"  and  the 
^'year  of  the  Kaarta  war,"  the  "year  in  which  Gadou 
was  plundered,"  etc.  They  calculate  their  years  by  the 
rainy  seasons,  of  which  there  is  one  in  each  year.^ 
Among  many  modern  African  peoples  the  year  is  divided 
into  three  seasons.  Thus  the  Yorubas  have  Ewo-erun, 
"  dry  season  "  ;  Ewo-oye,  "  season  of  the  Harmathan 
wind  "  ;  and  Ewo-ojo,  "  rainy  season"  ;  and  each  of  their 
months  contains  six  weeks  of  five  days  each,  from  which, 
however,  they  deduct  twelve  hours. ^  The  Bavili  year  is 
divided  into  three  parts,  which  contain  one  month,  four 
months,  and  eight  months  respectively^  ;  they  are  called 
Mawalala,  Xicifu,  and  Mvula.  These  three  parts  contain 
six  seasons,  each  of  two  months,  which  are  called  Mwici 
(smoke),  Bunji  (mist),  Mvumvumvu  (drizzle),  Waw 
Waw  Waw  (rains),  Nvula  Nxentu  (female  rains),  Nvula 
Mbakala  (male  rains).*  In  Speke's  time  the  Baganda 
reckoned  only  five  months  to  the  year,^  and  only  recently 
has  time  been  divided  into  years  in  Uganda.^  The 
Egyptians  gave  names  to  each  month,  to  each  day  of  the 
month,  and  to  each  hour  of  the  day  and  night,  and  some 
modern  African  peoples  do  likewise.'^  Our  information 
about  the  divisions  of  time  in  use  among  modern  Sudani 
folk  is  scanty,  for  the  older  travellers  paid  no  attention 
to  the  matter. 

In  the  Calendar  of  Lucky  and  Unlucky  Days  the 
Egyptians  divided  the  day  into  three  parts,  but  it  is  not 
clear  whether  each  part  contained  four  or  eight  hours, 
i.e.,  whether  they  included  the  night  in  the  day  or  not. 
Many  African  peoples  divide  the  day  into  three  parts, ^ 

^   Travels  in  the  Interior  of  Africa,  Dent's  reprint,  p.  210. 

2  Ellis,   Yoruba-speaking  Peoples,  pp.  144,  151. 

3  Dennett,  At  the  Back  of  the  Black  Man's  Mind,  p.  64. 
•*  Ibid.,  p.  107. 

5  Journal,  p.  355. 

^  Cunningham,  Uganda,  p.  234. 

"^  See  Dennett,  op.  cit.,  p.  106,  and  Hollis,  Nandi,  p.  94  ff. 

®  E.g.,  the  Mandingoes. — Mungo  Park,  Travels,  p.  208. 


250     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

i.e.,  into  morning,  mid-day,  and  evening,  and,  like  the 
Egyptians,  further  subdivide  it,  when  necessary,  into 
parts  which  are  distinguished  by  the  sun's  place  in  the 
heavens.^ 

22.  Astronomy. 

Under  the  Ancient  Empire  the  Egyptians  had  very 
little  knowledge  of  astronomy  in  the  true  sense  of  the 
word,  and  the  stars  were  regarded  by  them  as  divine 
spirits  round  which  the  souls  of  the  blessed  collected. 
In  the  Pyramid  Texts  two  classes  of  stars  are  clearly 
distinguished,  the  Akkemu  seku,  or  "  imperishable  stars," 
and  t\\(t  Akkemu  urtcku,  the  "stars  which  never  rest." 
The  heavens  were  divided  into  four  parts,  and  the  stars 
were  classed  as  "northern"  and  "southern."  Among 
the  former  they  placed  the  constellation  Mesekhti,  the 
Great  Bear,  and  among  the  latter  the  constellation  of 
Orion  and  Sirius,  or  Sothis.  The  northern  stars  were 
associated  in  a  certain  degree  with  Set,  Orion  held  the 
soul  of  Horus,  and  Sirius  was  identified  with  Isis. 
Venus  as  an  evening  and  morning  star  was  well  known, 
and  one  at  least  of  the  planets,  and  some  of  the  stars 
mentioned  in  the  Pyramid  Texts  were  afterwards 
included  among  the  Thirty-six  Dekans.     The  moon  was 

the  great  "Runner,"  khens  aaa^vA,    of   the     night-sky, 

H 

and  was  in  early  times  associated  with  Thoth  ;  in  later 
times  it  was  regarded  as  the  abode  of  Osiris.^  The  Sun 
and  the  Moon  were  the  two  great  eyes  of  the  Sky-god, 
the  former  being  his  right  eye  and  the  latter  his  left. 
Under  the  New  Empire  the  Egyptians  knew  the  five 
planets  Mercury,  Venus,  Mars,  Saturn,  and  Jupiter,^  and 
drew  up  lists  of  the  Thirty-six  Dekans,  and  made  star- 
maps  of  a  limited   character.      On  monuments  of    the 

1  Compare  the  pictures  of  the  sun  at  each  hour  of  the  day  and  his 
names  in  Brugsch,  Thesaurtts,  p.  57. 

2  Osiris    entered     the    moon    on     the     day    when    it    was    full, 

pp.  30,  271  ;  and  Plutarch,  Ve  hide,  Chapter  XLIII. 
^  Brugsch,  Thesaurus,  p.  66. 


Astronomy  251 

Ptolemaic  Period  we  find  lists  of  the  Signs  of  the  Zodiac 
and  pictures  of  their  gods. 

Modern  African  peoples  pay  little  attention  to  the 
heavenly  bodies  in  general,  and  travellers  have,  as  a 
rule,  surprisingly  little  to  tell  us  of  their  views  con- 
cerning them.  Sir  Harry  Johnston  says  that  beyond 
a  slight  interest  in  the  sun  or  moon  the  Negro  race,  as 
contrasted  with  the  Asiatic  or  European,  takes  little 
notice  of  the  heavenly  bodies.  The  average  native  of 
Uganda  takes  little  or  no  interest  in  the  stars.  The 
Baganda  know  the  Great  Bear,  and  their  name  for  it 
means  "six  stars";  Orion  they  call  the  three  stars. 
Sirius  is  simply  "  Munyenye,"  or  *'  the  star."^  The 
Bakongo  regard  Venus  and  Jupiter  as  the  spouses  of  the 
moon.^  Rumanika  asked  Speke  "  if  the  same  sun  we 
"  saw  one  day  appeared  again,  or  whether  fresh  suns 
•'  came  every  day,  and  whether  or  not  the  moon  made 
"  different  faces,  to  laugh  at  us  mortals  on  earth."^ 
Pingiro,  chief  of  Nindo,  asked  Decle  if  there  were  two 
suns,  one  which  went  to  bed  one  evening,  and  another 
which  got  up  next  day.*  When  Mungo  Park  asked  the 
Mandingoes  what  they  thought  became  of  the  sun 
during  the  night,  they  considered  the  question  childish, 
for  they  had  never  thought  out  the  matter,  and  the 
subject  seemed  to  them  to  be  beyond  human  investiga- 
tion. The  Nandi  think  that  the  sun  retires  into  his 
scabbard  at  night  time,  and  returns  by  a  different  road 
to  his  home  in  the  east  ;  and  when  the  moon  disappears 
she  is  supposed  to  fall,  and  to  go  home  by  a  different 
road.  When  there  is  no  moon  the  people  say  that  the 
sun  has  killed  his  wife.^ 

The  moon  has  attracted  the  notice  of  the  natives  of 
Africa  more  than  any  other  heavenly  body,  and  most  of 
their  religion  and  religious  ceremonies  are  grouped  about 
it.  The  new  moon  to  them  is  a  newly  created  thing,  or 
a  resurrection  of  its  old  body,  and  a  new  embodiment  of 
the    moon's   spirit.     To    the   African  everywhere  it  has 

^    Uganda,  Vol.  II,  p.  697. 
2  George  Grenfell,  Vol.  II,  p.  815. 
^Journal,  p.  193,  Dent's  reprint. 
*  Decle,  Three  Years,  p.  370. 
^  Hollis,  Nandi,  p.  98. 


252     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

always  been  the  symbol  of  new  birth,  new  life,  growth 
development,  and  power.  Many  peoples  in  West,  South, 
and  Central  Africa  salute  its  appearance  reverently,  and 
Pagans  as  well  as  Muslims  say  a  short  prayer  when  they 
see  its  crescent  in  the  sky  at  sunset  for  the  first  time 
each  month.  The  prayer  said,  they  spit  upon  their  hands 
and  rub  them  over  their  faces.  Work  of  all  kinds, 
especially  that  connected  with  agriculture,  and  journeys 
are  undertaken  during  the  waxing  moon,  and  marriages 
are  performed,  and  circumcision  festivals  are  celebrated 
during  this  period.  No  work  of  any  importance  is  begun 
during  the  moon's  last  quarter,^  when  mourning  festivals 
are  celebrated.^  The  institution  of  a  general  day  of  rest 
among  the  Yorubas  and  many  other  peoples  in  Africa 
and  elsewhere  is  probably  to  be  referred  to  moon-worship. 
Originally  the  first  day  of  the  new  moon  was  observed  as 
a  day  of  rest,  a  holy  day  sacred  to  the  moon.  When 
the  month  was  divided  into  weeks,  the  first  day  of  each 
week,  i.e.,  of  each  phase  of  the  moon,  was  also  regarded 
as  holy.  As  the  Mendis  do  no  work  on  the  first  day  of 
the  month,  saying  that  if  they  did  the  rice  and  corn  would 
grow  red,  the  day  of  the  new  moon  being  "a  day  of 
blood,"  Colonel  Ellis  thinks  that  they  at  one  time 
offered  human  sacrifices  to  the  new  moon.^  As  the 
African  developed  anthropomorphic  conceptions  of  gods 
moon-worship  decayed,  but  the  new  moon  is  still  treated 
with  reverence  in  most  parts  of  Africa,  and  its  appearance 
is  celebrated  with  festivals,  dancing,  music,  and  joyful 
entertainments  of  all  kinds. 

23.  The  Pillow  or  Head-rest,  ^. 

The  Egyptians  often  placed  in  their  tombs  head-rests, 
or  "pillows,"  on  which  the  heads  of  the  dead  rested,  and 
they  often  attached  to  mummies  small  models  of  the 
pillow,  made  of  haematite  and  other  substances,  which 
were  supposed  to  possess  the  power  of  "  lifting  up  "  their 
heads.     A  large  collection  of  pillows  in  wood,  ivory,  etc., 

^  Mungo  Park,  Travels,   pp.   208,  209  ;  Hollis,  Nandi,  pp.  19,  52, 
60,  79. 

"  Hollis,  Nandi,  p.  71. 

^    Yoruba-speakitig  Peoples,  ■^.  146. 


Under-world  253 

is  exhibited  in  the  Third  Egyptian  Room,  and  there  are 
many  pillow-amulets  in  the  Fourth  Egyptian  Room,  of  the 
British  Museum.  In  the  Papyrus 
of  Ani  the  pillow  appears  as  one 
of  the  three  chief  amulets,  the 
other  two  being  the  backbone  of 

Osiris,   u,  and  a   portion    of  the 

body  of   I  sis,   m.      It   forms  the 

vignette  of  Chapter   CLXVI   of 

the  Book  of  the  Dead,  and  the 

text   suggests    that    it    not    only 

raised  up  the  head,  but  prevented  Egyptian  Piiiow. 

it  from    being:  carried  off.      The 

modern  African    peoples    also   use   head-rests    made    of 

wood,  etc.,  which  closely  resemble  those  of  the  Egyptians  ; 

for  illustrations  of  these  see  Bentley,  Pioneering  on  the 

Congo,  Vol.   I,  p.   309,  and  Johnston,   George   Grenfell, 

Vol.  II,  pp.  745-748. 

24.  The  Dance  of  the  God. 

In  the  chapter  on  Osiris  and  dancing  it  has  already 
been  stated  that  most  of  the  chief  African  peoples  regard 
ceremonial  dancing  before  a  god  as  an  act  of  worship. 
Allusion  has  already  been  made  to  the  pygmy  who  was 
brought  from  the  Sudan  to  Egypt,  and  who  knew  how  to 
dance  the  "dance  of  the  god,"  the  "god"  being,  pre- 
sumably, Osiris,  and  we  are  justified  in  assuming  that  this 
"god"  had  his  own  special  dance,  which  was  not 
generally  known  in  Egypt.  There  is  certainly  some 
good  reason  for  the  statement  that  the  pygmy  knew  the 
dance  of  the  "god."  With  this  we  may  compare  a 
remark  of  Colonel  Ellis,  who  says  :  "  On  the  Gold  and 
Slave  Coasts,  every  god  of  note  has  his  own  dance,  which 
is  sacred  to  him,  and  is  known  only  to  the  initiated."^ 

25.  Under-world. 

The  Egyptian  Book  of  Gates  and  the  Book  Am-Tuat 
suggest  that  some  parts  of  the  Other  World  were  supposed 

•  ^    Yoruba-speaking  Peoples, -p.  2()6. 

VOL.  n.  s 


254     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

to  be  underground,  and  the  entrances  to  these,  with  the 
Porters  or  Doorkeepers,  seem  to  indicate  that  the  artists 
who  drew  the  pictures  of  them  were  well  acquainted  with 
the  fact  that  certain  tribes  lived  in  underground  dwelling's. 
Some  modern  African  peoples  live  underground,  and 
Livingstone,  describing  the  underground  houses  in  Rua, 
says  they  are  very  extensive,  ranging  along  mountain 
sides  for  twenty  miles,  and  in  one  part  a  rivulet  flows 
inside.^  He  also  speaks  of  underground  store-houses  in 
Kabiur^,  in  the  range  called  Kakoma.^  There  are  also 
underground  houses  in  the  Oasis  of  Khargah,  to  which 
for  generations  the  people  have  been  in  the  habit  of 
driving  their  cattle,  and  in  which  the  people  themselves 
have  taken  refuge,  when  attacked  by  the  desert  Arabs. 
I  visited  them  in  1909  and  found  them  well  stocked  with 
grain,  and  women,  goats,  and  children  living  in  them 
contentedly.  The  light  of  lamps  and  fires  added  a 
weirdness  to  the  scene,  which  might  well  serve  as  a  base 
for  an  imaginary  Under-world,  like  the  Ipo-oku  of  the 
Yorubas,^  where  the  spirits  of  the  dead  lived  and  continued 
their  existence  which  they  had  begun  in  the  flesh  on 
earth. 

26.  Magical  Figures  in  Steatite. 

In  connection  with  what  has  been  said  about  magical 
figures  and  figures  of  ancestors,  it  may  be  noted  that 
small  steatite  figures  are  sometimes  dug  up  in  various 
parts  of  the  Sherbro  Hinterland,  and  that  the  people 
ascribe  magical  powers  to  them.  They  make  offerings  of 
flour  to  them,  and  then  consult  them  about  expeditions, 
wars,  the  crops,  and  the  acquisition  of  wealth.  Each 
figure,  or  devil,  is  in  command  of  many  spirits,  who  carry 
out  his  orders.  If  a  figure  is  set  on  a  small  bamboo  stool, 
within  a  little  palm  leaf  shrine,  in  a  secret  place  near  a 
crop,  it  is  believed  that  the  crop  will  be  doubled.  If  such 
a  figure  is  acquired  by  theft  its  powers  are  supposed  to 
be  increased.* 


1  Last  Journals^  Vol.  I,  p.  274. 

2  Ibid.^  p.  281. 

^  Ellis,  op.  at.,  p.  127. 

*  AUdridge,  Sherbro  and  Its  Hinterland,  p.  163. 


Incense  255 

27.  Incense. 

Among  the  Egyptians  of  all  periods  one  of  the  most 
important  ceremonies  was  the  burning  of  incense.  Each 
substance  used  in  the  composition  of  incense  was 
supposed  to  possess  magical  properties,  and  the  smell 
produced  by  burning  them  together  was  believed  to  be 
much  liked  by  the  gods.  The  smoke  was  thought  to 
form  a  material  vehicle  on  which  the  words  of  the  prayers 
recited  by  the  worshipper  would  mount  up  to  heaven,  and 
when  they  reached  the  divine  being  to  whom  they  were 
addressed,  the  odour  of  the  incense  which  accompanied 
them  caused  him  to  receive  them  graciously,  and  to  grant 
the  suppliant  his  petition.  And  this  was  not  all,  for  a 
passage  in  the  Pyramid  Text  of  Pepi  1 1  shows  that  the 
soul  of  the  dead  man  ascended  into  heaven  by  means  of 
the  incense  which  was  burnt  on  his  behalf.  The  passage 
reads  : — 

"  The  father  of  Pepi  Nefer-ka-Ra  is  Shu. 
"  The  mother  of  Pepi  Nefer-ka-Ra  is  Tefnut. 
"  They  draw  up  Pepi  Nefer-ka-Ra  to  heaven,  to 

heaven, 
"  On  the  flame  of  the  incense.^ 
"  Pepi  Nefer-ka-Ra  is  pure. 
"  Pepi  Nefer-ka-Ra  liveth. 
"  Pepi    Nefer-ka-Ra    maketh    his   seat,    behold, 

Osiris." 

An  interesting  modern  parallel  to  this  old  idea  is 
given  by  Livingstone.  A  fire  broke  out  at  Hara,  the 
night  after  he  left  that  place,  and  destroyed  the  village, 
including  the  goods,  beads,  guns,  powder,  cloth,  etc.,  of 
one  Hames.  The  news  reached  Livingstone's  camp  the 
next  morning,  and  prayers  were  at  once  offered  up  for 
Hames,  and  some  incense  burnt.  The  Muslims  held 
their  prayer  book  (Kuran  ?)  in  the  smoke  of  the  incense 
whilst  the   responses   were   being  said.^      Thus  all   the 

^'^WVA         I        I  O    J    1-     958. 

-  Last  Jourfials^  Vol.  I,  p.  233. 

S    2 


256     Osiris  and  the  Eg)''ptian  Resurrection 

prayers  of  the  book  were  despatched  to  heaven  on  the 
wings  of  the  burning  incense,  and  the  suppliants  believed 
that  they  must  be  heard  by  God. 


28.  Sitting  on  the  Shoulders. 

In  the  Pyramid  Text  of  Pepi  I  we  read  : 

Pepi  Cometh  forth  into  heaven. 

He  findeth  Ra.     Standing  upright/  he  meeteth 

him. 
He  seateth  himself  on  his  shoulders. 
Ra    will    not    permit    him    to    descend    to    the 

ground, 
For    behold,    he    knoweth    that    Pepi    is   greater 

than  he. 
Pepi     is     more     spirit     than    the    spirits     [khic 


\ 


A 


More     perfect     than    the    perfect   idqe^'-u  (j 
More     stable     than     the     stable     ones     {tchetu 


And  in  the  Pyramid  Text  of  Pepi  II  it  is  said,  "  Pepi 
Nefer-ka-Ra  hath  seated  himself  on  thy  shoulder, 
Osiris."^  Thus  we  see  that  the  kings  of  Egypt  when 
they  arrived  in  heaven  were  supposed  to  mount  on  the 
shoulders  of  both  Ra  and  Osiris.  The  wording  of  the 
texts  makes  it  clear  that  no  allusion  to  the  embracing 
of  the  king  by  these  gods  is  meant,  and  it  is  quite 
clear  that  we  are  intended  to  understand  that  he  seated 
himself  on  their  shoulders.  The  idea  seems  strang-e 
until  we  remember  that  among  many  peoples  in  Africa 
chiefs  and  their  wives  are  in  the  habit  of  travelling  on 
the  shoulders  of  their  attendants  from  one  place  to 
another.     Thus  Sir  Samuel   Baker  tells  us  that  the  chief 

^  I.e.,  Pepi  meets  Ra  as  an  equal,  he  does  not  bow  before  him. 
2  Pepi  I,  1.  91  =  Meri-Ra,  1.  120  =  Pepi  II,  1.  698. 

t:?Pi  (W|  [A^A  ^  -t^^^,  1.958. 


Red  Body  Colouring  257 

Katchiba  was  in  the  habit  of  travelling  upon  the  back 
of  a  very  strong  subject,  "  precisely  as  children  are  wont 
"  to  ride  pick-a-back.  He  generally  had  two  or  three 
"  spare  men,  who  alternately  acted  as  guides  and  ponies, 
*'  while  one  of  his  wives  invariably  accompanied  him, 
"  bearing  a  large  jar  of  beer."^  When  Livingstone  was 
at  Hara,  "  a  daughter  of  Nsama  came  this  afternoon  to 
"be  a  wife  and  cementer  of  the  peace !  She  came 
"riding  'pick-a-back'  on  a  man's  shoulders;  a  nice, 
"  modest,  good-looking  young  woman,  her  hair  rubbed  all 
"  over  with  nkola,  a  red  pigment,  made  from  camwood, 
"  and  much  used  as  an  ornament."^ 


29.  Red  Body  Colouring. 

The  wall  paintings  in  Egyptian  tombs,  etc.,  often 
contain  representations  of  men  whose  bodies  are  coloured 
red,  and  in  papyri  containing  vignettes  of  the  Book 
of  the  Dead  the  body  of  Osiris  is  frequently  given  this 
colour.  From  these  it  is  clear  that  the  Egyptians  were 
in  the  habit  of  painting  their  bodies  with  red  pigment, 
and  many  modern  Africans  follow  their  example  at  the 
present  day.  Thus  among  the  Shilluks  the  poor  anoint 
themselves  with  unguents  with  which  wood-ashes  are 
mixed,  and  their  colour  becomes  grey ;  the  landowners, 
or  men  of  position,  mix  the  ashes  of  cow-dung  with 
their  unguents,  and  when  smeared  with  them  their 
bodies  have  a  dusky-red  tint,  like  the  "  hue  of  red 
devils."^  The  Manbattu  use  a  "  beauty-paint  "  made 
of  the  red  powder  of  camwood,  which  is  mixed  with  fat, 
and  is  rubbed  over  the  whole  body.  The  Niam-Niam 
also  use  a  similar  paint,  which  they  apply  to  their  bodies 
in  spots  and  stripes  ;  they  stain  red  all  their  faces  and 
breasts  to  increase  the  ferocity  of  their  appearance.* 
The  Acholi  smear  their  whole  bodies  with  red  paint  and 
fat.^  The  Baris  paint  their  bodies  with  a  pigment  made 
of  oxide  of  iron   and  grease,  and  give  "  themselves  the 

^  Albert  N^yanza,  p.  210,     See  the  illustration  on  p.  209. 

2  Last  Journals,  Vol.  I,  p.  231.     See  the  illustration  facing  p.  232. 

'  Schweinfurth,  Heart  of  Africa,  Vol.  I,  p.  88. 

*  Ibid.,  Vol.  II,  p.  106. 

*'  Cunningham,  Uganda,  p.  354. 


258     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

appearance  of  new  red  bricks."^  The  Baris  pulled 
down  the  house  built  by  the  devoted  Austrian 
missionaries,  and  having  pounded  and  ground  the 
bright  red  bricks  of  which  it  was  built  into  powder, 
they  mixed  it  with  grease,  and  smeared  their  bodies  with 
the  mixture,  and  so  "  the  house  of  God  was  turned  into 
'  pommade  divine.'  "^  The  Nuers  also  stain  their  bodies 
red,^  and  the  Mbichos  rub  their  bodies  all  over  with  oils 
and  red  earth.*  The  people  of  Makalumbi  use  large 
quantities  of  red  powder  and  oil  in  dressing  their  hair,^ 
and  the  Taveta  maidens  smear  themselves  with  red 
earth  and  fat.^ 

30.  The  Tortoise. 

Among  the  Egyptians  the  tortoise  was  regarded  as 
one  of  the  personifications  of  evil,  and  the  creature  itself 
was  classed  with  crocodiles,  serpents,  and  other  noxious 
creatures.  In  the  Book  of  the  Dead  the  death  of  the 
tortoise  is  followed  by  the  living  of  Ra,  and  in 
Chapter  CLXI  the  deceased  says,  "  Ra  liveth,  the 
tortoise  dieth."  How  the  tortoise  came  to  be  associated 
with  Thoth  and  the  four  winds  of  heaven,  which  are 
referred  to  in  this  Chapter,  cannot  be  explained.  In 
another  place  (Chapter  LXXXIII)  the  deceased  says, 
"  I  have  dressed  myself  like  the  tortoise."  The  tortoise 
has  an  evil  reputation  among  the  Baganda,  for  they 
believe  that  the  monster  python  Bemba,  one  of  their 
mythical  kings,  was  slain  by  the  guile  of  Enfudu,  the 
tortoise.'^  One  of  the  ways  of  celebrating  the  making 
of  peace  after  a  war  is  to  kill  a  tortoise  with  blows  of  a 
club.^  Among  the  Fjort  the  tortoise  is  associated  with 
the  fire  which  came  from  heaven.^ 


^  Baker,  Albert  JSPyanza,  p.  59. 

^  Baker,  Ismailm,  Vol.  I,  p.  237  ;  Albert  N'yafiza,  p.  59. 

^  Baker,  Albert  ]Vyanza,  p.  39. 

*  Du  Chaillu,  Adventures,  p.  109. 

^  Thomson,  To  the  Central  African  Lakes,  Vol.  II,  p.  iii. 

^  Hohnel,  Discovery  of  Lakes  Rudolf  and  Stephanie,  p.  102. 

'''  Cunningham,  Uganda,  p.  154. 

^  Hollis,  Nandi,  p.  84. 

^  Dennett,  Notes  on  the  Folklore  of  the  Fjort,  p.  76. 


Tree- worship  259 

31.  The  Primitive  Village. 

The  Egyptian  determinative  for  village,  or  town,  or 
any  inhabited  district,  is  ©,  i.e.,  a  circular  enclosure 
surrounded  by  a  wall,  with  two  main  streets  at  right 
angles  to  each  other.  Many  modern  villages  in  West 
Africa  have  this  shape  and  arrangement  of  streets,  e.g.^ 
the  Usimbi  villages,  Wenya  and  others,  at  Stanley 
Falls. ^  The  villages  of  the  Kavirondo  are  circular,  have 
fences  all  round,  and  the  cattle  are  brought  in  each  night 
and  the  gates  are  shut.^ 

32.  Decoration  of  Bows  of  Boats. 

In  the  vignette  to  Chapter  CXXXIII  of  the  Book 
of  the  Dead  we  see  Ra,  the  Sun-god,  seated  in  his  boat, 
from  the  bows  of  which  hangs  a  sort  of  rectangular  mat, 
with  a  bird  perched  on  the  top.  The  mat  appears  to 
be  fringed.  What  seems  to  be  a  parallel  to  this  is 
furnished  by  Stanley,  who  describes  an  Aruwimi  war- 
canoe,  and  tells  us  that  from  its  bow  streamed  a  thick 
fringe  of  the  long  white  fibre  of  the  Hyphene  palm.'^ 

^ii-  Tree-worship. 

The  Egyptians  believed  that  certain  deities  took  up 
their  abode  in  trees,  and  several  trees  were  regarded 
by  them  as  sacred.  Thus,  in  Heliopolis,  there  was  the 
famous  Persea  tree,  near  which  lived  the  Great  Cat 
which  cut  off  the  head  of  the  serpent  of  darkness,*  and 
the  god  Sepes  lived  in  a  tree.^  The  god  Ra  appeared 
each  morning  from  between  two  sycamore  trees  of 
turquoise,^  and  there  was  also  in  Heliopolis  an  olive  (?) 
tree  which  was  closely  associated  with  Horus."^  The 
goddesses  Nut  and  Hathor  lived  in  trees,  and  a  vignette 
shows  us   the  former   giving   bread    and   water   to    the 

^  Stanley,  Through  the  Dark  Conttnettt,  Vol.  II,  p.  260. 

^  Cunningham,  Uganda,  p.  279. 

2   Through  the  Dark  Continent,  Vol.  II,  p.  271. 

"  Book  of  the  Dead,  Chapter  XVII,  1.  19. 

5  Ibid.,  Chapter  CLXXIX,  1.  3. 

«  Ibid.,  Chapter  CIX,  1.  4. 

7  Ibid.,  Chapter  CLXXVIII,  I.  3. 


26o     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

deceased,  as  he  kneels  by  the  stream  on  which  the  tree 
is  planted.^  In  the  celestial  Heliopolis  stood  the  sacred 
tree  on  the  leaves  of  which  Thoth  and  Sesheta  wrote  the 
names  of  kings  and  of  the  blessed  dead.^  This  is,  of 
course,  the  original  of  the  Sidr,  or  Lote  tree  of 
Paradise,  which  the  Muslims  say  contains  as  many 
leaves  as  there  are  human  beings  in  the  world,  and 
that  on  each  leaf  the  name  of  one  human  being"  is 
written.  The  cult  of  trees  is  common  among  many 
modern  African  peoples,  some  of  whom  regard  tree-spirits 
as  very  powerful  beings.  Thus  the  Masai  worship  the 
spirits  of  the  Subugo  tree,  and  of  the  Retete  tree, 
which  is  a  species  of  parasitic  fig.  They  propitiate 
these  by  killing  a  goat,  and  by  bringing  blood  in  a 
calabash  and  pouring  it  over  the  base  of  the  tree  trunk.'^ 
The  cult  of  trees  by  the  Masai  is  associated  with  the 
reverence  which  is  paid  to  grass  as  a  sacred  symbol, 
and  the  "  Laibanok,"  or  sorcerers,  pluck  grass  before 
they  perform  any  of  their  magical  ceremonies.*  Near 
the  Kariima  Falls  is  a  tree  in  which  lives  a  spirit  that 
is  supposed  to  gratify  the  powers  and  pleasures  of  men 
and  women  who  summon  its  presence  in  the  form 
appropriate  to  each.^  Among  the  Gallas  the  Woda  is 
esteemed  holy,  and  under  its  shadow  sacrifices  and 
prayers  are  offered  up  to  the  exalted  spirit  who 
dwells  in  it.  Of  the  greatest  sanctity  is  the  tree  Worka 
{Ficus  sycamorus),  at  Woda  Nabi,  by  the  River  Hawash, 
where  each  year  the  Gallas  offer  up  a  great  sacrifice  to 
their  deity  Waka,  and  pray,  saying  :  "  O  Wak,  give 
us  children,  tobacco,  corn,  cows,  oxen  and  sheep. 
Preserve  us  from  sickness,  and  help  us  to  slay  our 
enemies  who  make  war  upon  us,  the  Sidama  (Christians) 
and  the  Islama  (Muslims).  O  Wak,  take  us  to  thee, 
lead  us  into  the  garden,  lead  us  not  to  Setani,  and 
not  into  the  fire."^  The  priests  of  this  tree  are  called 
"  Lubas,"  as  opposed  to  the  medicine-men,  or  sorcerers, 
who  are  called  "  Kalijas."     The  Camante  perform  their 

1  Ibid.,  Chapter  LIX. 

2  Figured  in  Lepsius,  Denkmdkr,  Band  III,  Plate  169. 
^  Johnston,  Uganda,  Vol.  II,  p.  832. 

4  Ibid.,  p.  833. 

^  Speke,  Jour7ial,  p.  446,  Dent's  reprint. 

^  Krapf,  Travels,  p.  76. 


Tree-worship  261 

religious  ceremonies  in  dense  forests,  where  they  are 
said  to  pay  particular  reverence  to  the  Cactus  tree, 
ascribing  to  it  a  reasonable  soul,  and  believing  that  the 
human  race  are  sprung  from  it.^  In  the  Camma 
country  the  people  venerate  a  mighty  tree  which  they 
call  "  Oloumi."  Its  bark  is  said  to  possess  healing 
properties,  and  if  a  man  washes  himself  in  a  decoction 
of  it  it  is  thought  that  he  will  be  lucky  and  shrewd  in 
making  bargains.^  In  every  I  bo  community  sacred 
trees  and  tree  deities  and  spirits  are  to  be  found.  The 
Efik  people  sacrifice  a  goat  and  a  fowl  each  year  to  the 
tree  called  "  Parando,"  aad  they  present  to  it  yams, 
plantains,  and  nimbo-tree  wine.  At  Ogbe-abri  lives  the 
Tree-god  Ani ;  at  Isiskme  is  a  grove  sacred  to  Ede-mili, 
the  Crop-god  ;  Ofo,  the  god  of  justice  and  truth  on  the 
Niger,  lives  in  the  tree  Ofo  ;  and  Osisi,  a  form  of  Ofo, 
lives  in  a  tree.  In  Brass,  when  the  Liana  creeper  is  cut 
down,  the  natives  have  to  perform  expiatory  ceremonies. 
In  Southern  Nigeria  the  Blood-plum  tree  is  venerated. 
The  Yorubas  venerate  the  Aluki,  a  sort  of  prickly 
pear,  and  Asorin,  the  "father  of  trees,"  and  the  Ayan 
tree,  and  the  Apa  tree.^  An  account  of  a  remarkable 
ceremony  given  by  an  eye-witness  is  quoted  by  Sir 
Harry  Johnston.  During  a  period  of  hunger  a  number 
of  the  Basoga  came  in  canoes  to  a  very  fine  specimen 
of  a  tree  of  the  Parinarium  species,  which  rose  to  the 
height  of  a  hundred  feet  above  the  ground  before  giving 
out  branches.  The  tree  was  surrounded  by  small  fetish 
huts,  and  curious  arcades,  and  umbrellas  of  straw.  When 
the  Basoga  arrived  at  the  base  of  the  tree,  they  removed 
all  their  clothing,  and  wrapped  ropes  made  of  creepers 
round  their  arms  and  necks,  and  began  to  dance  whilst 
songs  were  sung.  After  a  time  a  little  girl  ten  years  old 
was  brought,  and  laid  at  the  base  of  a  tree,  and  every 
action  connected  with  slaying  a  sacrifice  was  gone 
through  ;  and  a  slio-ht  incision  was  made  in  her  neck. 
She  was  then  thrown  into  a  lake  close  by,  but  was  saved 
from  drowning  by  a  man  who  stood  ready  to  rescue  her. 

^  Ibid.,  p.  466. 

-  Du  Chaillu,  Adventures,  p.  264. 

^  Leonard,    The  Lower  Niger,   p.   298   ff.  ;    Ellis,    Yoruba-speaking 
Peoples,  p.  115. 


262     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

The  child  was  afterwards  dedicated  to  a  life  of  virginity. 
All  this  took  place  near  Luba  in  Western  Busoga.^ 

34.  The  Throne. 

Egyptian  hymns  to  Osiris,  and  those  which  relate  to 
him  and  his  successor  Horus,  lay  great  stress  upon  the 
fact  that  Horus  inherited  his  father's  throne,  and  sitting 
on  it  ruled  the  world.  Thus  in  the  Book  of  the  Dead  we 
have  :  "  Thy  throne  hath  descended  to  thy  son  Horus  " 
(Chapter  CLXXV,  1.  14).  "  Horus,  his  son,  is  seated 
upon  the  throne  of  the  Dweller  in  the  Lake  of  Fire  as 
his  heir.  .  .  .  Horus  is  stablished  upon  his  throne " 
{ibid.,  11.  20,  21).  "  Thy  son  Horus  is  triumphant.  .  .  . 
The  throne  of  Keb  hath  been  adjudged  to  him,  together 
with  the  rank  which  was  established  by  Temu,  and 
ordered  by  decree  in  the  Library,  and  recorded  on 
a  tablet  according  to  the  command  of  Ptah-Tanen." 
(Chapter  CLXXXHI,  1.  12,  f.).  The  throne  of  Horus 
passed  naturally  to  his  representative  on  earth,  i.e., 
to  the  king  of  Egypt,  and  from  time  immemorial  in 
Africa  the  possession  of  the  royal  or  tribal-chief's 
throne  has  been  regarded  as  synonymous  with  the 
possession  of  the  sovereignty  over  a  country  or  district. 
The  original  throne  of  Osiris,  as  we  have  seen,  probably 
contained  portions  of  his  body,  and  as  long  as  these 
were  preserved  in  it,  his  son  Horus  enjoyed  the 
protection  and  power  which  they  transmitted  to  the 
mystic  seat,  i.e.,  he  was  under  the  direct  influence  of 
the  great  ancestral  spirit.  When  the  first  king  of 
Egypt  sat  upon  that  throne  the  spirit  of  Horus,  as  well 
as  that  of  Osiris,  protected  and  inspired  him,  and  the 
divine  power  which  these  gods  conferred  upon  him,  by 
virtue  of  his  succession  to  their  sovereignty,  gave  to 
his  words  and  deeds  an  authority  which  was  divine  and 
absolute.  At  certain  periods  in  Egyptian  history  the 
people,  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest,  regarded  the  king 
as  god  as  well  as  king,  and  as  the  master  of  their 
lives,  and  bodies,  and  souls,  and  property.  No  one 
could  sit  upon  the  throne  of  Horus  as  king  without  the 
god's   permission,    and    out   of  this    belief  grew   up    in 

^  Johnston,  Uganda,  Vol.  II,  p.  719. 


The  Throne  263 

Africa  the  idea  of  the  divine  right  of  kings.  The  oldest 
throne  of  Osiris  was  probably  made  of  wood,  but  in 
late  times  fine  alabaster,  costly  stone  and  metal,  bronze, 
gold,  etc.,  which  were  sometimes  inlaid,  were  also 
employed.  In  the  kingdom  of  Nubia  the  royal  throne 
was  made  of  gold,  and  in  the  inscription  of  Nastasen  we 
are  told  that,  after  sacrificing  two  bulls,  this  king 
"  went  up  and  sat  on  the  Golden  Throne  in  the  Golden 
Chamber,  under  the  shadow  of  the  great  royal  fans."^ 
This  he  did  at  Napata.  He  then  went  to  the  city 
of  Per-Kem,  and  having  paid  homage  to  Amen  he 
went  up  and  sat  on  the  golden  throne  ;  this  act 
conferred  upon  him  the  sovereignty  of  that  part  of 
Nubia  of  which  Per-Kem  was  the  capital.  He  also 
went  to  P-nubs,  the  capital  of  another  province,  and 
went  up  and  sat  on  the  golden  throne  which  was 
preserved  there.  Mention  is  also  made  by  Nastasen 
that  he  went  into  an  underground  chamber  and  lay  there 
for  four  nights,  and  that,  having  made  offerings  of  all 
kinds  to  Amen  and  sacrificed  two  bulls,  he  went  into  the 
temple  and  took  his  seat  upon  the  "  seat  of  state  "  which 
was  in  the  "  Chamber  of  the  Throne."  From  the  Book  of 
the  Dead  we  learn  that  the  beatified  in  the  Other  World 
also  possessed  throne  chambers  with  seats  in  them,  for 
the  XLVHth  Chapter  is  a  spell  the  recitation  of  which 
prevented     the     "throne    chamber     and     the    throne," 

n  ^  _    ^ ,  from  being  taken  away  from  them.^ 

The  importance  of  the  tribal  throne,  which  is  one  of 
the  abodes  of  the  ancestral  spirit,  is  clearly  recognized 
by  modern  African  peoples.  Thus  the  throne  of  Unyoro 
was  very  ancient,  and  had  been  in  existence  for  many 
generations.  It  is  quite  a  small  object,  and  is  made  of 
copper  and  wood,  and  is  regarded  as  a  "cojoor,"or 
talisman.  The  throne,  and  a  very  ancient  drum,  "  which 
is  considered  with  reverence  as  something  uncanny,"  are 
always  jealously  guarded    by  special    soldiers,   and  are 

^  For  the  text  see  Lepsius,  Denkmd/er,  Band  V,  Plate  i6. 

2  We  may  note,  in  passing,  the  "  stark-naked  people,"  the  Wakidi, 
mentioned  by  Speke,  who  live  up  in  trees,  and  have  small  stools  fixed 
on  behind,  always  ready  for  sitting  upon.  See /ourna/  of  the  Discovery 
of  the  Source  of  the  Nik,  p.  8i,  Dent's  reprint. 


264     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

seldom  used.  Should  the  throne  be  lost  or  stolen,  the 
authority  of  the  king  would  disappear,  together  with 
the  talisman,  and  disorder  would  reien  throughout  the 
country  until  the  precious  object  should  be  restored.^ 
Nothing  can  happen  in  Unyoro  without  the  order  of  the 
king.  The  superstitious  veneration  for  the  possession  of 
the  magic  throne  produces  a  profound  obedience.^  It 
was  on  this  throne  that  Kamrasi  sat  when  Baker  visited 
him,  and  on  that  occasion  it  rested  upon  a  carpet  of 
leopard  skins. ^ 

35.  Dried   Human   Bodies. 

Reference  has  already  been  made  to  the  costliness  of 
embalmment  among  the  Egyptians.  The  remains  of 
many  bodies  which  have  been  found  in  large,  common 
graves  suggest  that  attempts  were  made  to  preserve 
them  by  drying  them  in  the  sun  or  by  the  help  of  fire  ; 
both  methods  were  probably  employed.  Drying  by  fire 
has  been  commonly  practised  in  many  parts  of  Africa  in 
recent  years,  and  Miss  Kingsley  states  that  it  was 
customary  when  a  native  of  Benin  died  to  dry  his  body 
over  a  gentle  fire,  and  then  to  take  it  back  for  burial  to 
his  native  city.*  It  may  also  be  noted  that  when 
Livingstone  died  at  Kataui  on  Lake  Bemba,  his  faithful 
servants  removed  his  internal  organs  and  dried  his  body 
in  the  sun  for  twenty-two  days  ;  they  then  rolled  it  in 
blankets  and  put  it  in  the  bark  shell  of  a  small  tree,  and 
carried  it  to  the  coast.  This  information  was  given  to 
Mr.  H.  Ward  by  Uledi  Pagani.^  In  the  late  period  the 
Egyptians  preserved  bodies  in  honey,  and  this  custom  is 
not  unknown  in  West  Africa,  for  when  Sonni  Ali, 
Emperor  of  Songhay,  was  drowned  in  1492,  his  body 
was  eviscerated  by  his  sons,  and  filled  with  honey,  and 
carried  back  and  laid  in  the  tombs  of  his  fathers.*^ 


^  Baker,  Ismailm,  Vol.  II,  p.  206. 

2  Ibid.,  p.  316. 

3  Albert  N'yanza,  p.  288. 

^    West  African  Studies,  p.  455. 

^  Ward,  H.,  A  Voice  from  the  Congo,  p.  65.    The  names  of  the  men 
who  saved  him  from  the  lion  were  Wadi  Mozera  and  Muini  Hasali. 
^  Shaw,  Tropical  Dependency,  p.  179. 


Cannibalism,  Human  Sacrifice  265 

36.  Cannibalism,  Human  Sacrifice,  etc. 

In  addition  to  the  instances  already  given  the 
following  may  be  noted.  The  Gabun  eat  the  dead,  just 
as  did  the  Gabun  Fang  and  the  Ogowe  Fang,^  and  the 
Manbattu,^  Wasongora  Meno,  and  Waregga  are  also 
cannibals.^  The  Gbalin  tribe  of  Kpwesi  fatten  and  eat 
prisoners  and  slaves.'^  In  Ofurekpe,  in  Old  Calabar,  the 
people  eat  prisoners  of  war,  otherwise  the  inhabitants 
"  are  everything  to  be  desired."^  It  is  on  record  that  in 
1668-9  fo^r  sailors  were  captured  by  some  of  them,  and 
that  three  of  the  four  were  killed  and  eaten  at  once.^ 
Among  many  secret  societies  in  Africa  the  eating  of 
human  flesh  forms  one  of  their  most  sacred  rites,'^  and 
many  sorcerers  are  believed  to  eat  portions  of  the  bodies 
of  the  dead.^  The  Angicas  were  in  the  habit  of  eating 
human  flesh,^  and  in  the  fifteenth  century  the  Benins, 
the  most  civilized  of  all  the  coast  tribes,  lived  upon  it.^^ 
Queen  Shinga  before  undertaking  any  new  enterprise 
cut  off  the  head  of  the  handsomest  man  in  her  guard, 
and  drank  a  deep  draught  of  his  blood. ^^  In  proof  of  the 
view  that  cannibalism  is  not  a  thing  of  the  past,  as  some 
imagine,  we  may  note  Mr.  H.  Ward's  remarks  in  his 
Voice  from  the  Congo,  London,  19 10.  Cannibalism  is, 
he  says,  a  regular  practice,  and  the  people  eat  human 
flesh  as  a  standard  article  of  diet  because  they  have  an 
innate  love  of  it.  They  say  :  "  It  gives  us  a  strong 
"  heart  for  fighting,  and  we  eat  men  because  it  is  good 
"  to  eat  meat  that   talked   with   us."     Men   are  fattened 

^  Nassau,  Fetichtsm,  p.  235. 

2  Frobenius,  Heiden-Neger,  p.  420. 

3  Stanley,  Through  the  Dark  Continent,  Vol.  II,  p.  106. 
^  Johnston,  Liberia,  Vol.  II,  p.  952. 

*  Kingsley,   West  African  Studies,  p.  564. 
^  Ibid.,  p.  567. 

7  Ibid.,  p.  538. 

8  Johnston,  Uganda,  Vol.  II,  p.  578.  The  Bakwains  buried  their 
dead  hastily  in  their  huts  lest  the  witches  (Baloi)  should  disinter  them 
and  use  parts  of  their  bodies  in  their  fiendish  arts. — Livingstone, 
Travels,  p.  129.     On  eating  the  heart  see  Last  Journals,  Vol.  II,  p.  49. 

^  Battell,  Strange  Adventures,  p.  10 1. 
^^  Shaw,  Tropical  Dependency,  p.  179. 

^^  She  had  sixty  male  concubines  who  took  the  names  of  women  and 
wore  female  dress. — Reade,  Savage  Africa,  1863  edit.,  p.  364. 


266     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

and  taken  to  the  market  at  Mubangi,  where  they  are 
hawked  about  alive.  Mr.  Ward  saw  four  Lulunsru 
captives  soaked  in  water  up  to  their  chins,  and  then 
killed  and  eaten. ^ 

With  reference  to  human  sacrifices  at  burial 
Mr.  Ward  describes  the  funeral  of  a  chief  of  Bolobo. 
His  body  was  painted  white,  black,  red,  and  yellow,  and 
he  wore  a  feather  headdress  ;  as  he  lay  in  his  grave, 
ten  women  and  several  young  men  were  pushed  into  the 
grave  with  the  body,  and  when  earth  had  been  poured  in 
on  them  and  they  had  been  trampled  down,  a  dance  was 
held  on  the  spot."  When  a  Bairo  chief  died  his  wives 
committed  suicide  as  a  matter  of  course,^  and  even  at  the 
death  of  a  great  African  lady  a  slave  was  sacrificed.* 
The  people  of  Senjero  offer  up  human  beings  as 
sacrifices,  and  many  families  must  slay  their  first-born 
sons,  so  that  their  blood  may  be  poured  out  on  the  base 
of  a  certain  pillar.^  King  Kwoffi  Karri  Kari  sacrificed 
a  human  victim  every  Tuesday  to  his  "fetish,"  which 
was  kept  in  a  gold  box  covered  with  plates.^  On  the 
terrible  sacrifice  of  human  life  which  went  on  at  the 
"  watering "  of  the  skeletons  and  tombs  of  deceased 
kings  in  Dahomey,  see  a  most  interesting  letter  written 
by  the  Rev.  P.  W.  Bernasko  in  i860,  and  published  by 
Burton.'''  In  Ashanti  many  human  victims  were 
sacrificed  yearly  on  the  king's  birthday,  in  addition  to 
those  which  were  offered  up  to  the  gods  monthly,  and  to 
the  spirits  of  the  dead  kings  at  the  Annual  Customs.^ 

37.  The  Spirit-Burial,  or  Second  Burial. 

Among  the  tribes  of  the  Lower  Niger  the  custom  of 
Second  Burial,  or  Spirit- Burial,  is  common.  This  burial 
is  conducted  on  much  the  same  lines  as  the  first,  except 
that    a    greater    entertainment    is    provided,     and    the 

1  See  pp.  231,  275,  277,  278,  283. 

-  Ibid.,  p.  55.     See  also  Junker,  Travels,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  261,  262. 

^  Johnston,  Uga?ida,  Vol.  II,  p.  610. 

*  Kingsley,   West  Africafi  Studies,  p.  453. 
^  Krapf,  Travels,  p.  69. 

^  Kingsley,  Travels  in  West  Africa,  p.  512. 

^  Burton,  A  Mission  to  Gelele,  Vol.  II,  p.  331,  and  see  pp.  334,  335, 
and  especially  p.  354.     Also  Skertchley,  Dahomey,  pp.  340,  351,  416. 

*  Skertchley,  Dahomey,  p.  513. 


spirit  Burial,  or  Second  Burial  267 

expenses  incurred  are  heavier.  The  second  burial  is,  in 
a  spiritual  sense,  of  greater  importance  than  the  first, 
**  because  it  is  a  special  memorial  service  held  over  the 
deceased  in  order  to  release  him  from  the  thraldom 
of  the  region  of  the  dead  in  which  all  souls  are  confined, 
.  .  .  and  to  usher  him  triumphantly,  as  befits  his  birth, 
into  the  abode  of  his  fathers  in  the  world  of  spirits." 
No  soul  can  attain  to  the  peaceful  ancestral  habitations 
without  the  rite  of  second  burial.  Formerly  human 
sacrifice  accompanied  this  rite,  one  hundred  slaves  and 
a  horse  being  sometimes  killed  on  the  death  of  an  elder, 
but  since  the  British  Government  has  interfered  in 
native  customs,  animals  and  gifts  of  food,  etc.,  are 
contributed  by  friends  instead  of  slaves.  Among  some 
sections  of  the  Ibo  peoples  the  Okuku  ceremony,  which 
is  identical  with  the  second  burial  or  lamentation  cere- 
mony, was  remarkable  from  the  fact  that  during  its 
performance  a  male  or  female  slave  was  killed  and  eaten 
by  those  who  belonged  to  the  family  of  the  deceased. 
The  slave  was  beheaded  by  the  eldest  son.  Without 
this  sacrificial  entertainment  the  soul,  it  was  thought, 
would  either  remain  for  ever  dormant,  or,  being  in  the 
power  of  the  god  of  death,  would  be  liable  to  be  absorbed 
by  him,  or  be  used  as  a  malignant  force.  The  New 
Calabar  people,  prior  to  the  introduction  of  Christianity, 
were  in  the  habit  of  performing  a  still  more  elaborate 
set  of  ceremonies  in  connection  with  the  "  Duen-fubara," 
or  image  of  the  deceased. 

The  Duen-fubara  was  a  painted  wooden  figure 
representing  the  head  and  shoulders  of  the  deceased, 
which  was  intended  to  be  the  abode  for  his  spirit. 
It  was  made  by  the  Fucheans,  who  had  the  monopoly 
of  making  such  things,  and  was  brought  to  the  house 
of  the  deceased,  where  living  sacrifices  were  offered 
to  it,  and  their  blood  poured  over  it.  When  this 
had  been  done,  the  sons  of  the  dead  man,  with  a 
number  of  followers,  went  to  the  house,  and  endeavoured 
to  carry  off  the  Duen-fubara  by  force.  When  the 
servants  of  the  house  resisted  them,  a  sort  of  sham 
fight  followed,  and  this  was  kept  up  for  a  time.  At 
length  the  defenders  of  the  Duen-fubara  gave  way, 
and  the   sons  obtained  possession  of  the  figure,  which 


268     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

they  took  to  a  small  house  that  had  been  specially  built 
to  receive  it.  This  was  the  house-chapel  of  the  family, 
and  a  trusty  man  was  appointed  to  guard  the  figure,  and 
to  keep  the  house  swept  and  clean. ^  The  wooden  figure 
is  identical  with  the  Ka  figure  of  the  Egyptians,  the 
house  is  identical  with  the  "  Ka  chapel,"  and  the 
ministrant  is  the  equivalent  of  the  "  priest  of  the  Ka." 

These  ceremonies  are  identical  with  those  of  the 
memorial  service  for  the  dead  which  is  common  through- 
out Egypt  and  the  Sudan,  and  they  closely  resemble 
those  which  the  ancient  Egyptians  performed  for  their 
dead,  when  their  object  was  to  secure  the  passage  of 
their  souls  from  the  land  of  death  to  the  land  of  the 
spirits.  It  cannot  be  too  strongly  insisted  that  spirits 
were  believed  to  be  alive  in  the  land  of  death,  and  that 
death  with  them  did  not  imply  finality.  The  reason  why 
the  living  were  so  anxious  that  the  spirits  of  the  dead 
should  pass  from  the  land  of  death  to  the  land  of  spirits 
was  that  they  might  take  up  their  position  as  spirit-fathers, 
and  act  as  guardians  and  protectors  of  their  families. 

If  we  apply  these  considerations  to  the  history  of  the 
burial  of  Osiris  we  shall  see  that  the  ideas  which 
prompted  the  performance  of  the  funerary  ceremonies  of 
Osiris  are  identical  with  those  which  cause  the  modern 
African  to  undertake  the  labour  and  expense  of  the 
second  burial  of  his  kinsfolk.  The  details  of  the  murder 
and  dismemberment  of  Osiris  are  given  elsewhere,  so 
we  may  pass  on  to  consider  his  second  burial.  The 
Book  of  Opening  the  Mouth  describes  at  considerable 
length  the  funerary  ceremonies  performed  for  Osiris  at 
his  first  and  second  burials,  but  they  have  not  been  kept 
distinct  in  that  work.  The  ceremonies  connected  with 
the  slaughtering  of  the  bulls,  and  with  the  presentation 
of  the  reeking  hearts  and  the  legs  of  the  animals,  repre- 
sent those  which  were  performed  at  the  first  burial,  but 
we  must  note  that,  even  at  the  early  period  when  the 
Book  of  Opening  the  Mouth  was  reduced  to  writing, 
bulls  had  taken  the  place  of  the  human  victims  which 
had  been  sacrificed  at  the  actual  burial  of  Osiris. 
Nearly  all  the  other  ceremonies,  especially  those  which 
deal  with  the  censing,  anointing,  dressing,  and  decoration 
^  See  Leonard,  The  Lower  Niger,  p.  159  ff. 


spirit  Burial,  or  Second  Burial  269 

tion  of  the  mummy,  belong-  to  the  second  burial,  and 
their  object  was  to  give  Osiris  the  power  to  pass  from 
the  land  of  death  to  the  land  of  the  spirits.  In  later 
times,  when  a  Ka  figure,  or  statue,  took  the  place  of  the 
mummy,  the  object  was  the  same,  but  the  figure  was 
placed  in  a  specially  prepared  chamber  or  shrine,  like  the 
Duen-fubara,  in  order  that  the  spirit  who  used  it  as  an 
abode  from  time  to  time  might  be  consulted  and 
appealed  to  for  help  in  time  of  trouble,  by  those  who 
lived  on  the  earth.  The  second  burial  of  Osiris  thus 
not  only  freed  his  spirit  from  the  land  of  death,  but 
made  him  to  become  the  great  and  powerful  ancestral 
spirit  and  protector  of  the  tribe  which  founded  his  cult 
in  primitive  times.  At  a  later  period,  when  his  worship 
spread  over  all  Egypt,  he  became  the  spirit-protector  of 
all  the  country,  and  the  ancestor-god, /«r  excellence,  of 
all  its  inhabitants. 

Among  modern  African  tribes  the  second  burial  may 
be  deferred  for  several  months  after  the  death  of  an 
individual,  and  sometimes  a  whole  year  elapses  before 
the  spirit-burial  takes  place.  Whether  this  was  so  in 
the  case  of  Osiris  cannot  be  said,  but  we  know  that  the 
burial  of  this  god  was  commemorated  annually.  In 
primitive  times  human  beings  were,  no  doubt,  sacrificed 
before  his  statue,  and  their  blood  sprinkled  on  it  and  on 
the  ground  about  his  shrine,  in  much  the  same  way  as 
the  skeletons  of  the  kings  of  Dahomey  are  "  watered," 
i.e.,  bathed,  with  blood  once  a  year.  In  course  of  time 
animals  were  substituted  for  men,  and  their  fiesh  was 
eaten  sacramentally  by  the  priests  and  certain  of  the 
worshippers.  It  is  possible  that  at  some  of  the  shrines 
one  human  being  at  least  was  eaten  sacramentally,  just 
as  a  human  victim  was  eaten  durinof  the  Okuku  cere- 
monies  of  the  Niger  tribes.  As  time  went  on  the 
slaughter  of  men  ceased,  and  libations  of  wine  took  the 
place  of  "  waterings  "  with  blood,  and  in  one  of  the 
vignettes  in  the  Papyrus  of  Nebseni  we  see  a  series  of 
bunches  of  grapes  hanging  from  the  roof  of  the  shrine  in 
which  Osiris  is  seated.  The  offerinc;s  made  to  Osiris  at 
the  annual  commemoration  were  very  numerous,  and 
their  comprehensive  character  is  well  illustrated  by  the 
Great  and  Little  Lists  of  Offerings  which  are  included 

VOL.  II.  T 


270     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

in  the  text  of  the  Book  of  Opening  the  Mouth.  They 
consisted  of  incense  of  different  kinds,  unguents  of 
various  sorts,  wines  from  the  South  and  the  North,  beer, 
the  flesh  of  animals,  geese  and  other  birds,  cosmetics, 
changes  of  raiment,  fruit,  vegetables,  flowers,  etc.  The 
offerings  at  the  tomb  of  Osiris  much  resembled  those 
which  are  presented  by  relatives,  friends,  and  neigh- 
bours in  honour  of  a  modern  king  or  chief  in  Western 
Africa  at  his  second  burial.  And  the  great  feast  which 
followed  the  conclusion  of  the  solemn  ceremonies  was 
characterised  by  the  same  weepings,  cries,  shouts  of  joy, 
laughter,  dancing,  noise  of  pipes,  drums,  horns,  etc., 
and  acrobatic  performances  which  accompany  the  second 
burial  of  a  great  king  at  the  present  day.  Of  course, 
they  have  nowadays,  in  addition,  explosions  of  gun- 
powder, fusillades  of  rifles,  and  noises  caused  by  instru- 
ments of  music  of  European  origin. 

Under  the  New  Empire  the  cult  of  Osiris  developed 
with  extraordinary  rapidity,  and  temples  were  built  in 
honour  of  the  god  at  Abydos  and  at  other  great  centres 
of  his  worship.  In  these  his  festivals  were  observed, 
and  once  a  year  commemorative  ceremonies  of  a  more 
or  less  elaborate  character  were  performed.  During 
such  festivals  priestesses  assumed  the  characters  of  I  sis. 
and  Nephthys,  and  recited  before  the  shrine  of  the  god 
addresses  and  hymns  in  which  the  sufferings  and  death, 
and  the  reconstitution  and  resurrection  of  Osiris,  were 
described.  Added  to  these  were  many  expressions  of 
great  grief  for  the  death  of  their  lord,  and  invocations  to 
him  to  return  to  them  and  to  remove  from  their  hearts 
the  sorrow  and  pain  which  his  departure  had  caused 
them.  These  addresses,  which  are  commonly  known  as 
the  "  Lamentations  of  Isis  and  Nephthys,"  and  the 
"  Festival  Songs  of  Isis  and  Nephthys,"  are  equivalent 
to  the  words  of  mourning  which  are  addressed  to  kings 
and  chiefs  of  Africa  at  their  second  burials,  and  were 
sung  with  the  same  object,  i.e.,  to  assist  Osiris  as  the 
great  ancestral  spirit  in  his  operations  in  the  Spirit-world, 
to  gratify  him  and  to  win  his  favour  for  deceased  relatives 
and  friends,  to  obtain  his  assistance  for  the  Egyptians  in 
their  daily  life,  and  to  induce  him  to  give  them  full  and 
satisfactory  inundations  of  the  Nile,  and  good  harvests. 


CHAPTER     XXV. 

The  Goddess  I  sis. 

Of  the  exact  position  which  I  sis  held  among  the 
gods  of  Egypt  under  the  first  four  dynasties,  and  of  the 
attributes  which  the  Egyptians  ascribed  to  her  in  the 
Archaic  Period,  we  know  nothing,  but  it  is  probable  that 
she  was  generally  regarded  as  the  female  counterpart  of 
Osiris,  and  that  she  was  believed  to  minister  to  his 
wants,  and  to  guard  and  protect  him  with  the  devotion 
and  fidelity  of  a  truly  loving  wife.  We  find  figures  of  a 
goddess  who,  as  she  appears  with  Osiris,  must  be  I  sis, 
on  some  of  the  cylinders  which  have  been  discovered  at 
Abydos,  and  if  this  be  the  case,  there  is  good  reason 
for  believing  that  I  sis  was  known  in  the  Predynastic 
Period.  One  thing  seems  to  be  quite  certain :  her 
fortunes  were  bound  up  with  those  of  Osiris,  and  as  his 
cult  grew  and  developed  throughout  Egypt,  so  the  fame 
and  power  of  Isis  increased  in  the  land.  It  is  impossible 
to  arrive  at  a  final  conclusion  on  these  points,  for  the 
evidence  necessary  is  not  forthcoming,  but  lack  of 
evidence  does  not  justify  the  statements  made  by  those 
writers  who  assert  that  Isis  had  no  place  among  the 
gods  of  the  Ancient  Empire.  Until  we  know  from 
hieroglyphic  inscriptions  what  views  were  held  about 
Osiris  by  the  Egyptians  of  this  period,  it  is  futile  to 
discuss  the  position  of  Isis.  Those  who  took  the  view 
that  Osiris  was  a  mere  tribal  chief  would  regard  Isis  as 
a  tribal  chiefs  wife  ;  those  who  worshipped  Osiris  under 
the  form  of  a  bull  would  naturally  think  of  Isis  as  a  cow  ; 
those  who  revered  Osiris  as  a  great,  mighty,  and  terrible 
ancestral  spirit  would  consider  Isis  as  his  spirit  counter- 
part, and  so  on.  The  characteristics  of  Isis  changed  as 
Osiris  absorbed  litde  by  litde  the  attributes  and  powers  of 
other  gods,  and  from  being  in  the  earliest  times  a  some- 
what obscure,  and  probably  local,  goddess,  she  became 
the  chief  deity  of  all  Egypt,  and,  in  late  times,  her  worship 
wholly  eclipsed  that  of  her  male  counterpart  Osiris. 

T    2 


272     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 


The    oldest    form    of  the    name    of  the    Q-oddess   in 

Egyptian  is   .u ,  which  is  usually  transcribed  "  Ast, "  but 
"^  the   true   reading  of  the  two  hiero- 

glyphic signs  seems  to  be  "  S[e]t," 
or  "  S[a]t."  The  vowel  which  was 
prefixed  to  assist  the  pronunciation 
of  the  two  consonants  was  probably 

a  ^^,    and  not  d  (1 ,  and  in  this  case 

the  name  of  the  goddess  is  to  be  read 
"  Ast."  The  classical  form  of  the 
name  suo^grests  that  a  vowel  to  assist 
in  pronouncing  the  two  consonants 
was  prefixed,  and  in  modern  times  in 
Egypt  we  have  zs^im  for  "  steam," 
and  exepress  for  "express."  The  word 
ast  means  "  seat,  throne,  chamber, 
house,  abode,  place,"  etc.,  but  there 
seems  to  be  no  possibility  of  con- 
necting any  one  of  these  with  the 
attributes  of  the  g-oddess  in  such  a 
way  as  to  give  a  rational  explana- 
tion of  her  name,  and  none  of  the 
derivations  hitherto  proposed  can  be 
regarded  as  satisfactory.  As  the 
wife  of  Osiris  she  was  her  husband's  throne,  as  the 
mother  of  Horus  she  was  the  house  in  which  he  came 
into  being,  as  the  great  World-Mother  she  was  the  abode 
in  which  all  life  originated,  and  her  womb  was  the  source 
whence  sprang  gods  and  men,  the  harvest,  and  all  living 
creatures.  There  is  no  doubt  that  at  one  time  or  another 
all  these,  and  many  other  similar  ideas,  were  associated 
by  the  Egyptians  with  her  name,  but  she  was  dear  to  the 
Egyptians  of  all  periods  because  they  regarded  her  as 
the  type  of  the  faithful  wife  and  loving  mother,  who 
bore  pain  and  suffering,  sorrow  and  solitude,  and  endured 
untold  persecutions  from  Set,  her  husband's  murderer, 
for  the  sake  of  her  lord  and  his  beloved  son  Horus. 

Numerous  passages  in  the  Pyramid  Texts  prove  that, 
even  so  far  back  as  the  Vth  dynasty,  Osiris  and  I  sis, 
Set    and     Nephthys,     were    regarded     as    the    deified 


The  Bull-god  Asar-Hep 
(Sarapis). 


The  Goddess  Isis  273 

members  of  a  family  of  human  beings,  and  from  this 
time  onward,  even  down  to  and  including  the  Roman 
Period,  the  conceptions  of  the  Egyptians  about  this 
group  of  gods  never  changed.  Set  was  detested  as  the 
murderer  of  his  good  and  noble  brother  Osiris,  and  the 
persecutor  of  the  forlorn  widow  Isis,  his  brother's  wife, 
and  the  usurper  of  the  throne  and  kingdom  which 
belonged  to  the  son  of  Osiris.  The  sympathy  of  all 
men  went  out  to  Isis,  who,  after  her  husband's  murder, 
brought  forth  her  son  in  the  papyrus  swamps  of  Lower 
Egypt,  where  Set,  in  the  form  of  a  scorpion,  stung  the 
child  and  killed  him.  Nephthys,  her  sister's  constant 
and  faithful  companion,  insisted  that  Isis  should  appeal 
to  Ra  in  heaven,  and  as  a  result  Thoth  provided  her 
with  the  knowledge  of  certain  words  of  power  which 
restored  life  to  the  body  of  Horus.  Further,  all  men 
approved  of  the  direct  intervention  of  heaven  at  this 
juncture,  and  applauded  Isis  for  training  Horus  to  engage 
in  mortal  combat  against  his  uncle  Set,  his  father's 
murderer  and  the  usurper  of  his  throne.  Throughout 
the  history  of  Osiris  Nephthys  appears  as  her  sister's 
most  devoted  helper  in  every  trouble  and  difficulty,  and 
as  an  affectionate  ally  of  her  murdered  brother,  and  a 
gracious  protector  of  her  nephew,  his  son.  Osiris  was 
the  type  of  the  good  god,  king,  and  husband,  Isis  was 
the  model  of  all  that  a  goddess,  queen,  wife,  and  mother 
should  be,  and  Horus  exhibited  the  traits  of  filial  love, 
which  expressed  themselves  in  constant  care  for  his 
widowed  mother  and  in  killing  his  father's  murderer,  and 
which  appealed  to  the  heart  of  every  father  and  mother 
in  Egypt.  Apart  from  these  considerations  the  Egyptians 
throughout  the  Dynastic  Period  regarded  their  kings  as 
the  lineal  descendants  of  that  Horus,  the  son  of  Osiris, 
who  was  conceived  and  brought  forth  by  Isis  after  her 
husband's  death,  and  who  became  the  first  king  of  Egypt. 
Therefore  Osiris  and  Isis  were  the  ancestors  of  their 
kings,  and  the  divine  origin  of  their  kings  was  the  secret 
of  their  power,  which  at  certain  periods  in  the  history  of 
Egypt  was  absolute.  In  obeying  the  king  the  Egyptians 
believed  they  were  obeying  God,  and  in  placing  their 
souls,  bodies,  and  possessions  at  the  uncontrolled  dis- 
posal   of  their    king,   they  thought  they  were   proving 


274     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

themselves  to  be  loyal  and  religious  servants  of  God. 
The  sovereignty  of  this  earth  was  inherited  by  the 
Horus,  i.e.,  king,  not  from  Osiris,  but  from  his  grand- 
father Keb,  the  god  of  the  earth,  and  only  his  inheritance 
of  heaven  came  to  him  from  Osiris. 

With  the  rise  to  power  of  the  Theban  princes  of  the 
Xlth  dynasty,  and  their  successors  of  the  Xllth,  the 
cult  of  Osiris  developed  greatly,  and  about  this  time 
the  fame  and  renown  of  I  sis  as  the  queen  of  Osiris,  and 
the  "mother  of  the  god,"  i.e.,  Horus,  began  to  fill  the 
land.  The  performances  of  the  sacred  Osiris-play  at 
Abydos  and  elsewhere  brought  the  loving  care  of  I  sis 
for  her  husband  and  son  into  great  prominence,  and  as 
"queen  of  heaven"  her  protection  was  eagerly  sought 
after  throughout  Upper  and  Lower  Egypt.  She  became 
the  great  and  beneficent  goddess  and  mother,  whose 
influence  and  love  pervaded  all  heaven,  and  earth,  and 
the  Other  World,  and  she  became  the  personification  of 
the  great  feminine,  creative  power  which  conceived  and 
brought  forth  every  living  creature  and  thing,  from  the 
gods  in  heaven  to  man  on  the  earth  and  the  insect  on 
the  ground.  What  she  brought  forth  she  protected,  and 
cared  for,  and  fed,  and  nourished,  and  she  employed 
her  life  in  using  her  power  graciously  and  successfully, 
not  only  in  creating  new  beings,  but  in  restoring  to  life 
those  that  were  dead.  Throughout  the  Book  of  the 
Dead  Isis  is  spoken  of  as  a  giver  of  life  and  food  to  the 
dead,  and  she  appears  in  the  pictures  of  Osiris  in  his 
shrine  in  the  Judgment  Hall  with  the  god,  ready  to 
assist  in  the  judgment  of  the  dead.  Isis  and  Nephthys 
are  often  identified  with  the  two  o-oddesses  of  Truth 
(Maati),  and  each  may  be  regarded  as  a  judge  of  the 
dead. 

Of  the  sufferings  of  Isis  we  find  no  connected  account 
until  we  come  to  the  XXXth  dynasty,  when  the  famous 
stele,  commonly  known  as  the  "  Metternich  Stele, "^  was 
made.  This  valuable  monument  tells  us  that  after  Set 
had  murdered  Osiris,  he  placed  Isis,  who  was  with  child, 
under   restraint,    but  she,    acting   under   the   advice   of 

^  It  was  given  to  Prince  Metternich  by  Muhammad  'Ali  in  1828, 
and  a  facsimile  of  it,  with  texts  and  translations,  was  published  by 
Golenischeff  at  Leipzig  in  1877. 


The  Goddess  Isis  275 

Thoth,  who  foretold  the  ultimate  triumph  of  her  son 
Horus,  and  his  accession  to  his  father's  throne,  suc- 
ceeded in  making  her  escape  one  evening.  With  her 
went  the  Seven  Scorpion-goddesses — Tefen,  Befen, 
Mestet,  Mestetef,  Petet,  Thetet,  and  Maatet — and  they 
led  her  to  the  village  of  Per-sui,  near  the  Papyrus 
Swamps.  When  Isis  arrived  at  Teh  she  wished  to  beg 
shelter  from  a  woman  of  position,  who  lived  there  and 
was  connected  with  the  overlord  of  the  district,  but  the 
woman,  seeing  her  coming,  shut  the  door  in  her  face. 
Enraged  at  the  treatment  which  Isis  received  from  this 
woman,  one  of  the  Scorpion-goddesses,  Tefen,  made 
her  way  into  the  woman's  house  under  the  door,  and 
stung  her  child  to  death,  and  set  her  house  on  fire. 
Isis,  taking  pity  on  the  woman's  grief  for  her  child,  laid 
her  hands  on  him  and  restored  him  to  life,  and  a  flood 
of  rain  extinijuished  the  flames  of  the  burning-  house. 
Meanwhile  a  peasant  woman  had  invited  Isis  to  her 
house,  and  the  goddess  went  in  and  stayed  there,  and 
the  woman  who  had  refused  her  admission  suffered 
agonies  of  remorse  for  a  whole  night. 

Soon  after  this  Isis  brought  forth  her  child  Horus  on 
a  bed  of  papyrus  plants  in  the  Swamps,  and  she 
rejoiced  greatly  in  him,  because  she  knew  that  he  would 
avenge  the  murder  of  his  father.  She  hid  him  care- 
fully, and  concealed  him,  fearing  lest  he  should  be  stung 
by  some  venomous  reptile,  and  one  day  set  out  to  go 
to  the  city  of  Am,  in  order  to  obtain  provisions  and 
other  necessaries  for  her  son.  When  she  returned  she 
found  him  lying  stiff  and  dead,  with  foam  on  his  lips, 
and  the  ground  round  about  him  was  soaked  with  water 
from  his  eyes.  In  a  moment  she  realized  what  had 
happened ;  Set,  in  the  form  of  a  scorpion,  had  suc- 
ceeded in  discoverino-  the  child,  and  had  stung  him  to 
death.  The  shrieks  of  Isis  rent  the  air,  and  caused  all 
her  neighbours  to  run  to  the  place  where  she  was,  but 
though  they  offered  her  sympathy,  nothing  which  they 
could  do  brought  Horus  back  to  life.  At  length 
Nephthys  came  to  her  sister's  help,  and  she  counselled 
Isis  to  appeal  to  Ra  in  heaven  for  assistance.  This  she 
did,  and  having  cried  out  to  Ra,  the  sun  stood  still  in 
heaven,   the    Boat   of   Millions   of  Years  stopped,    and 


276     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

Thoth  descended  to  earth  to  comfort  I  sis,  and  to  repeat 
to  her  the  spell  which  she  was  to  use  to  restore  Horus  to 
life.  I  sis  learned  the  words  of  power,  and  when  she 
had  uttered  them  the  poison  flowed  forth  from  the  body 
of  Horus,  air  entered  his  lunors,  sense  and  feelino- 
returned  to  him,  and  he  was  restored  to  life.  Thoth 
ascended  into  the  sky  and  took  his  seat  once  more  in 
the  Boat  of  Millions  of  Years,  and  the  sun  resumed 
his  course  amid  shouts  of  joy  on  the  part  of  the  denizens 
of  heaven,  who  gloried  greatly  in  the  restoration  of 
Horus  to  life.  The  temporary  death  of  Horus  turned 
out  to  be  a  blessing  for  mankind,  for  it  was  the  imme- 
diate cause  of  Isis's  obtaining  from  Thoth  a  potent  spell 
against  the  bite  of  scorpions.  This  spell  Isis  trans- 
mitted to  her  priests,  and  by  its  use  they  were  enabled 
to  do  away  the  effects  of  the  reptile's  poison  in  the 
human  body,  and  so  to  preserve  the  lives  of  many 
Egyptians.  The  sorrows  of  Isis,  the  search  for  her 
husband's  body,  her  weary  wanderings,  her  loneliness 
when  she  brought  forth  Horus,  the  death  of  the  child,  etc., 
probably  formed  the  subjects  of  scenes  that  were  acted  at 
the  Osiris-play,  which  was  performed  annually  at  Mendes, 
Abydos,  and  other  centres  of  the  cult  of  Osiris.  When 
Horus  had  grown  up  he  fought  a  duel  with  Set,  which 
lasted  for  three  days  and  three  nights.  Towards  the 
close  of  the  fight  Horus  began  to  gain  the  upper  hand, 
and  at  length  he  succeeded  in  fettering  his  adversary. 
When  Isis  saw  this,  pity  for  her  brother  Set  moved  her, 
and  she  uttered  a  spell  which  had  the  effect  of  causing 
the  fetters  of  Set  to  fall  away  from  him,  and  he  escaped. 
Horus  was  filled  with  wrath  at  his  mother's  ill-timed 
clemency,  and  he  raged  at  her  like  the  savage  leopard 
of  the  South,  and  as  she  fled  from  before  his  anger  he 
pursued  her  and  cut  off  her  head.  At  this  juncture 
Thoth  intervened,  and  transforming  the  head  of  Isis 
into  that  of  a  cow,  he  attached  it  to  her  body 
straightway. 

Under   the    New   Empire    Isis    became,   beyond    all 

doubt,  the  greatest  goddess  in  Egypt,  and  the  following 

titles    illustrate   the   estimation    in    which   she  was   held 

throughout    the  land  •}     "  She    of   many    names.       The 

^  See  Brugsch,  Thesaurus^  pp.  102,  217-219. 


The  Goddess  Isis  277 

"  Great  One  who  is  from  the  beginning.  The  divine 
"  one.  The  only  one.  The  greatest  of  the  gods  and 
"  goddesses.  The  Queen  of  all  the  gods.  The  best 
"  beloved  of  all  the  gods.  The  prototype  of  all  beings. 
"  Queen  of  goddesses  and  women.  The  female  Ra. 
"  The  female  Horus.  The  Eye  of  Ra.  The  right  eye 
"  of  Ra  (as  Sothis).  The  star-crown  of  Ra- Horus.  The 
"  Queen  of  the  Dekan  stars.  Sothis,  who  openeth  the 
"  New  Year.  The  lady  of  the  beginning  of  the  year. 
"  Occupier  of  the  chief  place  in  the  boat  of  heaven. 
"  The  maker  of  the  sunrise.  The  lady  of  heaven.  The 
"  holy  one  of  heaven.  Light-giver  in  heaven  with  Ra. 
"  She  of  the  beams  of  gold.  The  golden  one.  The 
"  most  brilliant  goddess.  Lady  of  the  north  wind.  The 
"  Queen  of  earth.  The  mightiest  of  the  mighty.  The 
"  mighty  one  on  the  earth  of  Keb.  The  Queen  of  the 
"  South  and  North.  Queen  of  the  South.  Queen  and 
"  Lady  of  the  lands  of  the  South.  Chieftainess  in  the 
"  North.  Lady  of  the  solid  earth.  She  who  vomiteth 
"  fire.  Blazing  flame.  She  who  filleth  the  Tuat  with 
"  good  things.  She  who  is  greatly  feared  in  the  Tuat. 
"  The  great  goddess  in  the  Tuat  with  Osiris  in  her  name 
"  '  Tanit.'  The  mother  of  the  god  [Horus].  The 
"  mother  of  the  god  Horus,  the  Mighty  Bull.  The 
"  mother  of  the  Golden  Horus,  who  brought  her  son 
"  into  the  world  in  the  Birth-chamber  so  that  he  might 
"  inherit  the  rank  of  his  father.  Giver  of  new  birth  to 
"the  god  of  Panopolis  (Ka  Nekht).  The  nurse  and 
"  protector  of  her  son  Horus.  The  Lady  of  the  Birth- 
"  chamber.  The  Cow  Heru-sekha,  who  bringeth  forth 
"  all  thinofs.  Who  nourished  the  child  Horus  with  her 
*'  milk.  Bestower  of  life.  Lady  of  life.  Creatress  of 
"  ofreen  things.  Bestower  of  life.  Giver  of  her  ofoods 
"  to  the  gods,  and  giver  of  offerings  to  the  spirits. 
"  Green  goddess,  whose  green  colour  is  like  unto  the 
"  greenness  of  the  earth.  Lady  of  bread.  Lady  of  beer. 
"  Lady  of  abundance.  Lady  of  joy  and  gladness.  Lady 
"  of  Love.  Who  delivereth  to  the  king  his  rank,  with- 
"  out  whom  no  king  can  exist.  Lady  of  the  temple. 
"  Queen  of  the  Great  House  and  of  the  House  of  Fire. 
"  Beautiful  in  appearance.  Beloved  in  all  lands. 
"  Mighty  one.      Beautiful  (or,  majestic)  one.      Beautiful 


278     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

"  of  face  in  Thebes.  Majestic  one  in  HeHopolis. 
"  Beneficent  one  in  Memphis.  Mistress  of  spells. 
*'  Weaver  and  fuller.  Daughter  of  Keb.  Daughter 
"  of  the  Universal  Lord.  Child  of  Nut.  First  royal 
*'  wife  of  Ra.  Consort  of  her  father.  Whose  son  is  the 
"  lord  of  the  earth.  Whose  husband  is  the  lord  of  the 
"  deep.  Whose  husband  is  the  inundation  of  the  Nile. 
"  Who  maketh  the  Nile  to  swell  and  overflow.  Who 
"  maketh  the  Nile  to  swell  in  his  season."  The  last- 
mentioned  titles  of  the  goddess  refer  to  Isis-Sothis, 
whose  appearance  in  the  sky  indicated  the  immediate 
advent  of  the  inundation  of  the  Nile,  and  warned 
men  to  be  ready  to  begin  the  agricultural  labours  of 
a  new  year.  Though  essentially  the  goddess,  par 
excellence,  of  the  South,  I  sis  had  control  over  the  stars 
of  the  Great  Bear  and  of  the  other  constellations  of  the 
North  who  were  supposed  to  be  able  to  exercise  an 
influence  for  evil  over  the  sun  in  the  season  of  spring. 
As  Osiris  was,  in  one  of  his  aspects,  the  lord  of  grain, 
so  I  sis  was  the  goddess  of  crops,  and  her  benign 
influence  made  grain  of  all  sorts  to  grow,  garden  produce 
to  be  abundant,  and  fruit  to  ripen.  She  was  the 
personification  of  all  tilled  lands,  the  benevolent  spirit 
of  the  fields,  and  the  goddess  of  the  harvest. 

The  association  of  I  sis  with  the  Other  World  is  very 
ancient,  and  the  history  of  the  resurrection  of  Osiris 
proves  that  the  powers  of  the  goddess  in  this  region 
were  very  great.  An  Egyptian  legend  asserts  that 
Horus  reconstituted  his  father's  body  with  the  help  of 
his  four  sons,  but  it  was  the  spells  which  Isis  recited, 
having  learned  them  from  Thoth,  which  gave  permanence 
to  the  work  of  Horus,  and  made  the  unguents,  balsams, 
spices,  and  drugs  used  by  the  great  physician  Anubis,  in 
the  embalmment  of  the  body  of  Osiris,  to  possess  their 
marvellous  properties.  The  Egyptians,  believing  that 
Isis  gave  to  her  lord  a  newly  constituted  body,  spared 
no  pains  in  invoking  her  help  to  attain  new  bodies  in 
the  Other  World,  and  on  her  they  relied  for  meat  and 

drink.       Under    the    form    called    Amenit,   il         ^4^m' 

Isis  was  the  personification  of  the  Other  World. 
Though   Osiris  was  the  absolute    Lord  of  that  region, 


The  Goddess  Isis  279 

and  none  entered  therein  except  through  him  and  by 
his  consent,  it  was  Isis  who  directed  all  matters  con- 
nected with  the  maintenance  of  the  Spirit-bodies  of  the 
blessed  there,  just  as  the  first  wife  of  a  modern  African 
chief  directs  the  temporal  affairs  of  her  lord's  household. 
Moreover,  the  righteous  were  re-born  in  Amenit,  or  Isis, 
and  the  decision  as  to  whether  the  dead  should  leave 
Amentet,  the  "  Hidden  Land,"  or  Hades,  or  Dead-land, 
and  renew  their  lives  in  the  region  on  the  further  side  of 
the  river,  or  sea,  which  ran  through  one  portion  of  the 
Other  World,  rested  entirely  with  her.  Read  in  connec- 
tion with  what  has  already  been  said  about  the  power  of 
Osiris  in  the  Other  World,  this  statement  maybe  thought 
to  exaggerate  the  powers  of  Isis  in  the  same  region,  but 
if  we  consider  the  part  played  by  Isis  in  the  history  of 
Osiris,  we  shall  find  that  without  her  help  Osiris  must 
have  perished.  It  was  Isis  who  searched  out  and 
collected  the  members  of  his  mutilated  body,  and  pre- 
sided over  its  reconstitution.  It  was  Isis  who  uttered 
the  spells  which  revivified  his  body,  and  made  him  to 
have  union  with  her  after  his  death  and  beget  their  son 
Horus.  Isis  resisted  the  attacks  made  upon  her  by  Set, 
and  protected  herself  against  his  machinations.  She  hid 
herself  in  the  Papyrus  Swamps  during  the  period  of  her 
pregnancy,  and  maintained  herself  until  her  child  was 
born.  Her  spells  raised  Horus  from  the  dead  after  he 
had  been  killed  by  the  sting  of  a  scorpion,  and  it  was 
Isis  who  reared  him  and  trained  him  until  he  was  old 
enough  to  do  battle  with  his  uncle  Set,  the  murderer  of 
Osiris.  Thus  Isis  revivified  Osiris,  gave  him  a  son, 
revivified  that  son  also,  and,  having  made  him  avenge 
his  father's  death,  seated  him  on  his  father's  throne,  and 
obtained  for  him  the  inheritance  of  her  father  Keb. 

Among  the  Egyptians  of  the  Middle  and  New 
Empires  Isis  was  regarded  as  a  great  magician,  and  the 
papyri  contain  several  allusions  to  her  magical  powers. 
She  knew  how  to  weave  spells  and  how  to  fashion 
magical  figures,  and  she  possessed  the  knowledge  of  all 
the  secret  or  hidden  names  of  all  the  (jods  and  of  all  the 
spirits,  both  good  and  bad,  and  she  used  them  in  such 
a  way  that  each  of  them  was  compelled  to  do  her  will. 
At  her  bidding  the  powers  of  nature  ceased  or  modified 


28o     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

their  operations,  and  she  could  make  everything,  both 
animate  and  inanimate,  to  perform  her  will.  There  is 
a  legend  which  states  that  at  one  time  there  existed  one 
being  whose  secret  name  was  unknown  to  her,  viz.,  Ra 
the  Sun-god.  This  name  I  sis  determined  to  know,  and 
to  effect  her  purpose  she  took  some  of  the  spittle  of 
the  god  and  mixed  it  with  dust  from  the  ground,  and, 
having  formed  a  venomous  serpent  therewith,  she 
endowed  it  with  life,  and  set  it  on  the  path  traversed  by 
Ra  when  he  went  on  his  daily  tour  of  inspection  in 
heaven.  As  he  passed  the  serpent,  the  reptile  bit  him, 
and  the  god  became  sick  unto  death.  Then  I  sis  went 
to  him,  and  promised  to  destroy  the  effect  of  the  poison 
and  to  restore  him  to  health  if  he  would  tell  her  his  secret 
name.  This  Ra  hesitated  to  do,  but  as  his  sufferings 
increased,  and  he  drew  nigh  to  death,  his  agony  forced 
him  to  reveal  his  name  to  the  goddess  Isis,  who  straight- 
way uttered  the  spell  which  relieved  his  pain  and  healed 
him.     One  of  the  most  powerful  amulets  known  to  the 

Egyptians  was  the  object  «  thet,  which  carried  with  it 

the  influence  of  her  blood,  and  magical  powers,  and 
words  of  power.  We  have  already  seen  that  it  is  most 
probably  a  conventional  representation  of  the  uterus 
with    its    ligatures,    and    the  vagina.     The   all-powerful 

symbol  of   Osiris  is  a  portion  of  his   backbone,    u  tet, 

or   rather  the  os  sacrum  set  on  a  stand,  and  analogy 

suggests    that    the    amulet  J,   the  all-powerful    symbol 

of  Isis,  represents  some  organ  of  her  body.  The 
greatness  of  the  power  of  Isis  is  well  illustrated  by  the 
fact  that  she  did  not  suffer  death  like  Osiris,  and  the 
Egyptian  inscriptions  do  not  mention  any  tomb  of  Isis.^ 
Whether  the  Egyptians  believed  that  she  passed  from 
this  world  to  the  Other  World  unchanged  in  respect  of 
her  body  cannot  be  said,  but  there  is  little  doubt  that, 
at  least  in  the  latest  days  of  her  cult  in  Egypt,  it  was 
her  immunity  from  death  which  most  impressed  the 
Egyptians  and   the   nations   around,  and   made  them  to 

1  Diodorus  (I,  27)  says  that  her  tomb  was  at  Nysa  in  Arabia. 


The  Goddess  Isis  281 

exalt  her  powers  over  those  of  Osiris.  When  her  cult 
finally  broke  down  through  the  development  and  mighty 
spreading-  of  Christianity  in  Egypt,  Isis  was  to  her 
votaries  the  type  and  symbol  of  all  that  is  greatest  and 
best  in  woman  in  her  character  of  the  unselfish,  true, 
tender,  loving,  and  eternal  World  Mother, 

Isis    is    generally    depicted   on    the  monuments   and 
papyri  in  the  form  of  a  woman  who  wears  on  her  head 

a  vulture-headdress,  and  holds  in  one  hand  -r-  and  in  the 

other  I.     The  usual   ornament  or  crown   on  her   head 

consists  of  a  pair  of  horns,   between  which    is   a   solar 

or  lunar   disk  ;    this    is    sometimes    surmounted    by    i], 

the  symbol  of  the  sound  of  her  name.  Sometimes  she 
wears  the  Crowns  of  the  South  and  North,  to  the  back 
of  which  is  attached  the  feather  of  Maat,  and  sometimes 
she  wears  with  the  pair  of  horns  and  the  solar  disk  two 
plumes.      Her  horns  are   those  of  the   Cow  of  Hathor 

Xjf ,  but  occasionally,  as  the  female  counterpart  of  the 

Ram  of  Mendes,  she  wears  a  pair  of  ram's  horns  under 
her  double  crown.  Isis,  as  a  woman,  and  not  as  a 
goddess,  wears  the  ordinary  head-dress  of  a  woman,  but 
even  so  she  has  an  uraeus  over  her  forehead,  for  the 
Egyptians  never  forgot  her  divine  origin.  As  the 
goddess  of  the  Island  of  Senemtet,  near  Philae,  she  wore 
a  sort  of  flat  cap,  having  a  fillet  decorated  with  uraei 
and  fastened  with  cords  or  bands,  the  ends  of  which  drop 
down  behind  her  head.^  By  means  of  this  head-dress 
Isis  is  identified  with  the  local  goddess  of  the  Island. 
In  her  character  of  female  counterpart  of  Osiris,  Isis 
takes,  naturally,  the  form  of  a  cow,  and  she  is  often  seen 
wearing  the  characteristic  emblems  of  ancient  Cow- 
goddesses,  viz.,  Hathor,  Meh-urt,  etc.  In  the  New 
Empire  it  became  the  fashion  for  women  to  wear 
attached  to  necklaces  pendants  made  of  porcelain"  or 
metal,  which  represent  the  goddess  seated  among  lotus 

^  Lanzone,  Dizionario,  tav.  CCCIX. 

2  See  the  fine  example  in  the  British  Museum,  No.  26,  233. 


282     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

plants  with  her  newly  born  child  Horus  on  her  knees, 
and  which  were  intended  to  commemorate  the  successful 
birth  of  her  child.  These  pendants  were,  strictly- 
speaking,  amulets,  which  were  supposed  to  give  their 
wearers  the  power  to  conceive,  and  to  give  birth  to 
children  without  difficulty,  and  to  secure  for  them  the 
help  of  Thoth,  who  acted  as  "  medicine-man  "  at  the 
confinement  of  I  sis,  and  the  protection  of  the  goddesses 
of  Upper  and  Lower  Egypt,  and  of  Ra,  and  of  I  sis  herself. 
Similarly,  the  pictures  of  the  bier  of  Osiris,  with  Isis 
standing  or  kneeling  at  the  foot  and  Nephthys  at  the 
head,  which  are  painted  on  coffins  of  the  New  Empire 
and  of  the  Ptolemaic  and  Roman  Periods,  are  also 
amulets  which  brought  to  them  the  protection  of  Isis  and 
Nephthys.  In  Chapter  CLIa  of  the  Book  of  the  Dead 
Isis  says  that  she  has  brought  to  the  deceased  "  the  north 
wind  which  cometh  from  Temu,"  and  has  strengthened 
his  throat,  and  set  all  his  enemies  under  his  feet.  Thus 
Isis  presided  over  the  conception  and  birth  of  human 
beings  into  this  world  and  into  the  next. 


CHAPTER   XXVI. 

The  Worship   of  Osiris  and  I  sis  in  Foreign 

Lands. 

The  raids  made  by  the  Egyptians  into  the  S6dan 
and  the  Sinaitic  Peninsula  under  the  Ancient  and  Middle 
Empires,  and  the  military  expeditions  into  Western  Asia 
made  by  the  great  kings  of  the  New  Empire,  must  have 
carried  among  the  conquered  peoples  and  tribes  a  know- 
ledge of  the  gods  of  Egypt.  And  the  foreign  sailors 
and  merchants  who  traded  with  Egypt  in  the  Red  Sea 
and  Mediterranean  Sea  must  also  have  carried  back 
with  them  to  their  coasts,  or  islands,  and  homes,  accounts 
of  the  curious  people  whose  gods  were  in  the  form  of 
the  bull,  ram,  cat,  crocodile,  jackal,  hippopotamus,  birds, 
reptiles,  trees,  stone  pillars,  etc.  If  any  of  them  became 
acquainted  with  the  strange  legends  of  the  gods  which 
were  current  among  the  priesthoods  of  Heliopolis  and 
Memphis,  and  reported  them  to  their  stay-at-home 
relatives  and  friends,  it  is  easy  to  think  that  they  would 
only  be  regarded,  at  first  at  least,  as  mere  "  travellers' 
tales."  When  the  kings  of  Egypt  ceased  to  raid 
countries,  and  began  to  occupy  them  effectively,  and  to 
work  the  mines  in  them  by  forced  labour  under  military 
supervision,  the  vanquished  peoples  were  brought  face 
to  face  with  men  who  worshipped  these  strange  animal- 
gods  and  emblems,  and  built  temples  for  them,  and  they 
were  obliged  to  obey  these  foreign  rulers.  The  gods  of 
the  indigenous  Egyptians  and  the  Sudani  tribes  were, 
I  believe,  in  primitive  times  the  same,  and  the  worship 
of  these  formed  a  bond  between  Nubia  and  Egypt. 
The  solar  gods  and  the  Nature  gods  and  Phallic  gods 
of  Libya  and  the  Eastern  Desert  which  the  later 
Egyptians  adopted  were  strangers  to  the  Nubians,  and 
a  considerable  time  must  have  elapsed  before  their  cult 
became  established  in  their  country.  We  know  from  the 
bas-reliefs  on  tombs  and  temples  and  from  the  inscrip- 
tions in  the  Northern  Sudan  that  the  tribes  so  far  south 


284     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

as  Wad  ben-Nagaa  and  Masawwarat  adopted  a  great 
many  of  the  Egyptian  gods  who  were  worshipped  under 
the  New  Empire  and  in  the  Ptolemaic  and  Roman 
Periods,  but  this  was  due  to  the  effective  occupation  of 
the  Northern  Sudan  by  the  Egyptians,  Ptolemies,  and 
Roman  Emperors,  rather  than  to  the  deliberate  choice 
of  the  people.  The  Northern  Nubians  as  a  whole  can 
never  have  understood  the  mysteries  and  intricacies  of 
the  Egyptian  religion,  and  there  is  good  reason  to  believe 
that  the  Sudani  tribes  who  lived  in  the  country  between 
Kom  Ombo  and  the  Equator  always  preferred  the 
original  African  cult  of  ancestors  to  the  modified  form  of 
it  which  became  current  in  Egypt  after  the  introduction 
of  the  cult  of  Ra  under  the  IVth  dynasty.  The  town 
of  Meroe  on  the  Island  of  Meroe  and  the  Island  of 
Philae  were  the  great  centres  of  the  cult  of  Osiris  and 
I  sis  for  hundreds  of  years  after  the  downfall  of  the  native 
religion  of  Egypt.  At  the  latter  place  Osiris,  I  sis,  and 
a  Phallic  god  (Menu)  were  worshipped  in  the  reign  of 
Diocletian,  and  the  Blemmyes  were  in  the  habit  of 
sacrificing  men  to  the  sun  there. 

The  Edict  of  Theodosius  I  (378-395)  against 
Paganism  was  disregarded  at  Philae,  and  when 
Olympiodorus  visited  Nubia  between  407  and  425  the 
people  were  still  pagans,^  and  the  cult  of  Osiris  and  Isis 
flourished  at  Kalabshah,  Primis,  and  other  places  in 
Nubia.  When  Maximinus  in  the  reign  of  Marcianus 
(450-457)  went  to  punish  the  Nubians  for  a  breach  of 
their  treaty  obligations,  they  were  still  pagans.  And  in  the 
new  agreement  which  he  made  with  them  they  stipulated 
that  they  should  be  allowed  to  visit  Philae  according  to 
their  ancient  use  and  wont,  and  that  they  should  be 
allowed  to  borrow  the  statue  of  Isis,  and  to  take  it  to 
a  certain  place  in  their  own  country,  so  that  they  might 
make  petitions  to  the  goddess  in  their  usual  way.  This 
custom  was  at  least  250  years  old  when  Priscus  wrote. '-^ 
In  the  reign  of  Justinian  (527-565)  it  seems  that  the 
Nubian  tribes  became  restless,  and  began  to  stir  up 
trouble  in  Egypt.     This  brought  down  upon  them  the 

1  Ed.  Bekker,  p.  62. 

2  Priscus,   Excerpt,  legat.,  in   Labbe,  Proirept.,   p.  40 ;    Letronne, 
Histoire  du  Christia?tisme,  p.  68. 


Worship  of  Osiris  in  Foreign  Lands       285 

wrath  of  Justinian,  and  partly  for  political  reasons,  and 
partly  as  the  result  of  his  hatred  of  paganism,  he  deter- 
mined to  put  a  stop  to  the  worship  of  Isis  and  of  the 
gods  of  her  company  at  Philae.  The  Island,  together 
with  its  immediate  neighbourhood,  formed  a  centre  of 
religious  fanaticism,  and  was,  no  doubt,  a  hotbed  of 
conspiracy,  unrest,  and  discontent.  Effect  was  given  to 
Justinian's  decision  by  Narses  the  general,  who  went 
to  Philae  and  closed  the  temple  of  Isis,  and  removed  the 
statues  of  the  gods  from  their  shrines,  and  carried  them 
off  to  Constantinople.  He  also  confiscated  the  revenues 
of  the  sanctuary  of  the  goddess,  and  threw  her  priests 
into  prison.  Thus  the  worship  of  I  sis.  came  to  an  end 
at  Philae,  Whether  it  survived  on  the  Island  of  Meroe 
for  any  length  of  time  there  is  no  evidence  to  show. 

Passing  now  from  Nubia  to  the  north,  we  find  that 
many  of  the  gods  of  Egypt  were  known  in  the  countries 
near  the  Delta,  e.g.,  Syria  and  Palestine,  under  the 
XVIIIth  and  XlXth  dynasties,  but  we  find  neither 
drawing  nor  representation  of  Isis  in  Phoenicia  until 
about  the  sixth  century  b.c.  About  this  time  Adonis  of 
Byblos  (Gebel),  and  the  goddess  of  that  city,  whose 
characteristics  resembled  those  of  the  Semitic  goddess 
'Ashtoreth  and  the  Egyptian  goddess  Hathor,  became 
confused  with  Osiris  and  Isis,  and  traces  of  this  con- 
fusion appear  in  several  places  in  Plutarch's  story 
De  Iside.^  At  a  later  period  we  find  figures  of  Isis  upon 
the  coins  of  Tyre,^  and  figures  of  Sarapis  on  the  coins 
of  Gaza^  and  Bostra.^'  On  the  Stele  of  Teima  we 
actually  find  the  name  of  Pe-ta-Asar,^  i.e.,  the  "gift  of 
Osiris,"  which  proves  that  there  was  in  and  about  Teima 
in  Arabia  a  colony  of  worshippers  as  early  as  500  B.C. 
From  Egypt  the  cult  of  Sarapis  and  Isis  passed  to 
Asia  Minor^  and  to  the  Islands  of  the  Mediterranean, 
e.g.,  Cyprus,  Rhodes,  Samos,  Chios,  Lesbos,  Delos, 
Crete,  etc.      In  the  fourth  century  before  Christ  Athens 

^  See  Movers,  I,  pp.  235-238 ;  Scholz,  Gotzendienst  und  Zauber- 
zvesefi,  pp.  226-232. 

-  Imhoof,  M.  Gr.,  p.  443. 

^  Reichardt,  JV^um.  Chron.,  1862,  p.  122.         *  Leake,  N.  H.,  p.  35. 

■'  Noldeke,  Sitzimgsberichte,  1884,  pp.  813-820. 

^  See  Drexler,  Der  Isis  und  Sarapis- Kultus  in  Kleinasien  in  Num. 
Zeit.,  Band  21,  pp.  1-234. 

VOL.  II.  U 


286     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

was  a  kind  of  centre  of  the  Egyptian  religion,  and 
shrines  to  I  sis,  both  pubHc  and  private,  seem  to  have 
been  erected  in  many  parts  of  Greece  at  this  period,^ 
and  the  bas-reHefs,  coins,  and  other  antiquities  which 
have  been  found  in  Thessaly,  Epirus,  Megara,  Corinth, 
Argos,  and  many  other  places  prove  that  the  worship 
of  I  sis  was  wide-spread,  and  that  Osiris,  or  Sarapis, 
Anubis,  Harpokrates,  and  even  Nephthys,  were 
associated  with  her  in  votive  inscriptions.  The  coins  of 
Malta  of  the  second  or  first  century  before  Christ  show 
that  the  cult  of  Osiris  and  I  sis  was  of  importance  in  the 
island,  and  the  monuments  found  in  Catania  in  Sicily 
suggest  that  this  city  was  a  centre  of  the  worship  of 
Egyptian  gods.^  Southern  Italy  contained  many  temples 
of  Isis,  and  the  remains  of  statues,  etc.,  found  in  Reggio,^ 
Puteoli,*  Pompeii,^  and  Herculaneum^  suggest  that  the 
worship  of  Egyptian  gods  must  have  been  as  common 
as  the  worship  of  native  gods  in  these  cities.  In  Rome, 
in  the  first  century  before  Christ,  Isis  was  regarded  as 
one  of  the  principal  goddesses  of  the  city.  Splendid 
buildings  and  temples  were  set  up  in  her  honour,  filled 
with  Egyptian  objects,  obelisks,  altars,  statues,  lavers, 
etc.,  which  were  brought  from  Egypt  with  the  view  of 
making  the  shrines  of  the  goddess  to  resemble  those 
of  her  native  country.  Priestesses  who  professed  to  be 
well  acquainted  with  the  "  mysteries  "  of  Isis  dwelt  in 
or  near  these  temples,  and  assisted  in  performing 
services  and  ceremonies  in  which  large  congregations 
participated,'''  From  Rome,  the  capital,  the  cult  of  Isis 
naturally  spread  to  the  provinces,  and  thence,  little  by 
little,  to  Germany,  Switzerland,  Spain,  Portugal,  Gaul, 
and  finally  by  way  of  Marseilles  to  Carthage^  and  the 
countries  of  North  Africa. 

1  Kohler,  Hermes,  Vol.  V,  p.  351  ;  C.  I.  A.,  Ill,  896. 

'-^  Pistorio,  Lettera,  torn.  XV,  pp.  169-194;  Zoega,  Z>i?  Origine  et 
Usu  Obeliscorum,  pp.  86,  616,  647. 

^  Logoteta,  //  Te7npio  di  /j-/^(?,  Naples,  1794. 

^  Lumbroso,  Recherches  sur  F Ecojiomie,  pp.  126,  157. 

•*  Nissen,  Pompei  Stud.,  p.  671. 

"  See  the  works  of  Lafaye  and  Fiorelli,  passim. 

"  For  the  literature  see  the  article  "  Isis  "  in  Roscher,  Ausfiihrliches 
Lex.,  col.  400. 

^  See  M.  de  Vogiie,  Rev.  Arch.y  3rd  sen,  torn.  XIII,  p.  167-176. 


Worship  of  Osiris  in  Foreign  Lands      287 

In  the  section  on  Isis  it  has  been  shown  that  this 
goddess  during  the  course  of  her  long  history,  and  as  a 
result  of  the  development  of  her  cult  throughout  Egypt 
and  Nubia,  was  identified  with  many  purely  local  spirits 
and  goddesses,  and  the  facts  now  available  prove  that 
the  custom  of  identifying  her  with  foreign  goddesses 
went  on  in  Greece  and  in  Italy,  and  in  nearly  every 
place  where  her  worship  was  introduced.  Thus  the 
Greeks  and  Romans  identified  her  frequently  with 
Selene,^  and  with  Demeter,  or  Ceres,  and  with  several 
goddesses  of  crops  and  of  the  harvest  in  general.  She 
was  also  regarded  as  an  Earth-goddess,  and  as  such  was 
the  mother  of  all  fertility  and  abundance.  Some  of  her 
attributes  caused  her  to  be  identified  with  Aphrodite, 
Juno,  Nemesis,  Fortuna,  and  Panthea,  and  among  coast- 
dwellers  she  was  regarded  as  a  Sea-goddess  and  the 
patroness  of  sailors.  Isis  of  "many  names"  was  a 
mystery  to  many  of  her  worshippers,  among  them  being 
some  who  were  wholly  unable  to  satisfy  their  minds  as 
to  her  true  identity.  Thus  in  the  "  Golden  Ass  "  of 
Apuleius  of  Madaura,^  Lucius  prays  to  Isis  in  these 
words  :  "  Queen  of  heaven,  whether  thou  beest  Ceres, — 
"  the  kindly  mother  from  whom  in  the  beginning  spring 
"  the  fruits  of  earth,  who,  rejoicing  to  have  found  thy 
"  daughter,  didst  take  from  men  their  bestial  provender 
"  of  old-world  acorns  and  show  forth  to  them  a  sweeter 
"  food,  and  now  thou  honourest  exceedingly  the  soil  of 
"  Eleusis ; — or  beest  thou  Venus,  the  heavenly  one,  who 
"  at  the  first  beginning  of  things  didst  unite  the  diversity 
"  of  the  sexes  in  the  power  of  Love  that  is  born  of  thee, 
"  and,  after  thou  hadst  brought  to  birth  the  race  of  man 
"  that  shall  endure  from  generation  to  generation,  art 
"  now  honoured  in  thine  island  shrine  of  Paphos  ; — or 
"  beest  thou  Phoebus's  sister,  who  with  gentle  healing 
"  dost  bring  relief  to  women  in  travail  and  hast  reared 
"  such  multitudes,  and  art  now  worshipped  in  the  most 
"  glorious  fanes  of  Ephesus  ; — or  beest  thou  Proserpine, 
*'  to  whom  men  render  shuddering  reverence  with  howls 
"  by  night,  thou  whose  threefold  visage  awes  the  wild 

^  Wiedemann,  Herodois,  p.  192. 

-  Mr.    H.    E.    Butler's    translation,    published    at    Oxford,     19 10 
(Book  XI,  2  ff.). 

U    2 


288     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

"  rages  of  the  goblin-dead  and  holds  fast  the  gates  of 
"  hell,  who  wanderest  in  many  a  diverse  grove  and  art 
"  propitiated  with  varied  rite  ;  thou  that  with  thy  tender 
"  feminine  light  dost  illumine  the  walls  of  all  cities  and 
*'  with  thy  moist  fires  dost  nurture  the  springing  seeds, 
"  and  dispensest  thy  beams  that  shift  and  change  with 
*'  the  changes  of  the  sun  ; — by  whatever  name,  by 
"  whatever  rite,  in  whatever  semblance  man  may  invoke 
*'  thee,"  etc. 

To  this  prayer  I  sis  made  answer  :  "  Lo,  Lucius,  I 
"  am  come  ....  I,  nature's  mother,  mistress  of  all 
"  the  elements,  the  first-begotten  offspring  of  all  the 
"  ages,  of  deities  mightiest,  queen  of  the  dead,  first  of 
"  heaven's  denizens,  in  whose  aspect  are  blent  the 
"  aspects  of  all  gods  and  goddesses.  With  my  rod  I 
*'  rule  the  shining  heights  of  heaven,  the  health-giving 
"  breezes  of  the  sea,  the  mournful  silence  of  the  Under- 
"  world.  The  whole  earth  worships  my  godhead,  one 
"  and  individual,  under  many  a  changing  shape,  with 
"  varied  rites  and  by  many  diverse  names.  There  the 
"  Phrygians,  first-born  of  men,  call  me  the  mother  of  the 
"  gods  that  dwell  at  Pessinus  ;  there  the  Athenians, 
"  sprung  from  the  soil  they  till,  know  me  as  Cecropian 
**  Minerva  ;  there  the  wave-beaten  Cyprians  style  me 
"  Venus  of  Paphos  ;  the  archer  Cretans,  Diana  of  the 
"  hunter's  net  ;  the  Sicilians,  with  their  threefold  speech, 
"  Stygian  Proserpine  ;  the  Eleusinians,  the  ancient 
"  goddess  Ceres.  Others  call  me  Juno,  others  Bellona, 
"  others  Hecate,  others  the  Rhamnusian,  but  those  on 
"  whom  shine  the  first  rays  of  the  Sungod  as  each  day 
*'  he  springs  to  new  birth,  the  Arii  and  the  Ethiopians 
"  and  the  Egyptians  mighty  in  ancient  lore,  honour  me 
"  with  my  peculiar  rites,  and  call  me  by  my  true  name 
"  Isis  the  Queen. "^ 

The  above  extracts  are  important  as  illustrating  the 
views  which  the  pious  devotees  of  Isis  held  concerning 
the  goddess,  and  as  enumerating  the  various  foreign 
goddesses  with  whom  the  Egyptian  Isis  was  pleased  to 
identify  herself.  It  is  easy  to  see  that  the  writer  of 
them  had  no  true  knowledge  of  the  actual  position  which 

^  Apuleius,  Metamorphoses,  XI,  5  (Butler's  translation). 


Worship  of  Osiris  in  Foreign  Lands      289 

I  sis  held  in  early  Egyptian  mythology,  and  that  he 
ascribed  to  her  the  attributes  which  belonged,  strictly 
speaking,  to  Neb-er-tcher,  Temu,  and  Khepera  in  very 
early  times,  and  to  Ra,  and  Aten,  and  Osiris  in  later 
times.  In  short,  he  turned  the  Almighty  God  of  the 
ancient  Egyptians  into  a  goddess  with  two  natures,  the 
one  human  and  the  other  divine.  Still  more  important, 
however,  for  the  study  of  the  history  of  I  sis  are  two 
Greek  inscriptions,  one  of  which  was  found  on  the 
Island  of  los,  and  the  other  on  the  Island  of  Andros. 
The  former  is,  unfortunately,  incomplete,  but  the  greater 
part  of  the  missing  portion  of  the  text  is  supplied  by  the 
latter,  and  thus  it  is  tolerably  clear  what  a  complete 
copy  of  the  inscription  contained.  Both  texts  are  edited 
by  F.  Hiller  de  Gaertringen  in  Inscriptiones  Graecae} 
and  the  following  copy  of  the  los  text  is  taken  from 
Herr  A.  Schiff's  transcript  which  is  printed,  with  an 
exact  copy  in  uncials,  in  Vol.  XII  (Ease.  V,  Part  I, 
p.  217)  of  that  work  : — 

['O    Setva  avi9r)Kev   Er]crt[St   Sey3a7r]i[S]t   ['AvovjStSt    k 
*A[/37ro/c/3a]Ti7. 

ET(Tt9  eycii  elfjLL  rj  T[ypo(,vv]o<;  Trda"r)<5  )(6pa<s  /cat  e7rato[€u]^i7i' 
VTTO  'Fipixov  Kou  ypd[jifjioi.Ta,  evpov  fxerd  'Epfxov  to,  oi7/xotrta, 
Iva  fjLrj  Tol<;  avrot?  TrdvTce.  ypd<^riraL. 

'Eya>  v6[xov<;  dvO pcxitroi'^  idefxrjv  kou  ev6p.odeT'r)(Tcc,  a  ovSei? 
hvvoLTOLi  ixeTOL0eivaL. 
.    *Eyco  elfiL  Kpovov  Ovydrqp  irpea^VTaTf). 

'Ey&j  et/jtt  yvvr]  /cat  dSe\(f>ri  'Oaeipeos  BacrtXe'©?. 

'Ey&j  elfXL  Oeov  Kwo?  dcrrpo)  e7rtr€X(X)ov(ra. 

*Eyw  et/At  17  rrapd  ywat^l  6eo<;  KaXovfxevr). 

*E[/a]ot  Bov/3a(7TL<;  TroXt?  olkoSoixtJOt). 

*Ey<y  e^oipicra.  yrjv  an   ovpavov. 

*Eya>  d<TT\_p~\o)v  6Sov<5  eSet^a. 

'Ey&j  rjXiov  /cat  cre\r\v'iq<;  iropeiav  cvuera^a. 

*Eya>  6(tkd(T(Tiot.  epya  evpcc. 

*Eya>  TO  8t/cator  Icr^vpov  CTToirjcra. 

'Eyw  y vvat/ca  /cat  duSpa  crvwtjya.ya.. 

'Eya>  yvvaL^L  SeKdfxrjvov  ^pi^oq  eVera^a. 

'Eyo)  VTTO  TEKvoiv  yovets  ^ikoaropyeXaOai  ivoixoderrjcra. 

^  See   Vol.    XII,    Fasc.  V,    Part  I,    Berlin,    1903,   No.   14,   p.    7  ; 
No.  739,  p.  213. 


290     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

Eyoi  Tots  daTopyoLS  yovelcn  Sta/cet/aeVot?  reiixoyptav 
iTTedrjKa. 

'Eya>  iiera  tov  dSeX^oO  'Ocret/oeos  ras  dv6 pcjiiro^ayta^ 
eiravcra. 

'Eya>  fxvqcreif;  dv6 p(i)TToi<;  dvehei^a. 

*Ey(t)  dydkfxaTa  Oecov  reiixdv  eStSa^a. 

Eyo)  T€p.ivr]  Oewv  elSpvcrdixr)v. 

Eyo)  Tvpdvvu>\y  d]p;^a5  /car eX vera. 

Ey&*  cTTepyecrdai  yvvaiKa^;  vtt   dvhpoiv  rjvdvKa(TCc. 

'Eyoj  TO  hiKaLou  elcr^porepov  ^pvcriov  kcu  dpyvptov 
iTTOLTjaa. 

'Eya>  TO  dXy)6e<;  Kokov  ivofxoOeTrjo'a  voju,t^[eo"]^at. 

'Eya>  crvvypa(f)d<;  yafJLLKd\y\  evpa. 

*Eya>  [SJtaXeKTov?  "EXXT^crt  kol  Bap^dpOL<;  ^ieTCiL^a.p.r]v, 

'Eyft>  TO  Kokov  KCU  TO  alcr)(^pov  hioLyeiv<i)(jKea6ai  vno  Trj^ 
^v[(r]€[<y]9  iTroi[r)cr]a. 

'Eya»    opKov    (f>6pov    [e7rey8aXo]i'    e7r[t ~\v 

dBiKO)^  e'"   .   .    . 

TRANSLATION. 

[So-and-so   dedicated   this]   to    I  sis,  to   Sarapis,  to 
Anubis,  and  to  Harpokrates. 

"  I  am  I  sis,  the  mistress  of  every  land,  and  I  was 
*'  taught  by  Hermes,^  and  by  aid  of  Hermes  I  found  out 
"  demotic  letters,  so  that  all  things  should  not  be  written 
•'  with  the  same  letters. 

"  I  laid  down  laws  for  mankind,^  and  ordained  things 
"  that  no  one  has  power  to  change. 

"  I  am  the  eldest  daughter  of  Kronos.^ 

"  I  am  wife  and  sister  of  Osiris  the  king.* 

1  The  Egyptian  Tehuti,  -5^  3j  (Thoth),  who  composed  the  spells 

which    Isis   learned  from   him ;   he   was    the   inventor   of    /I   1    ] ,  or 

"  hieroglyphics."    The  use  of  demotic  writing  became  general  in  Egypt 
after  the  XXVIth  dynasty. 

2  Here  Isis  assumes  the  attributes  of  Sesheta,  the  female  counter- 
part of  Thoth. 

3  The  Egyptian  Keb,  "^  J  ^  • 

4  ^\^   r^l  '   ^^"g  °f  *h^  South  and  North,  Osiris. 


Worship  of  Osiris  in  Foreign  Lands      291 

"  I  am  she  who  governs  the  star  of  Kuon  the  god.^ 

"  I  am  she  who  is  called  Divine  among  women."^ 

"  For  me  was  built  the  city  of  Bubastis,^ 

"  I  divided  the  earth  from  the  heaven.* 

"  I  made  manifest  the  paths  of  the  stars. 

"  I  prescribed  the  course  of  the  sun  and  of  the  moon.^ 

"  I  found  out  the  labours  of  the  sea.^ 

"  I  made  justice  mighty.'^ 

"  I  brouorht  tog-ether  woman  and  man.^ 

"  I  burdened  woman  with  the  new-born  babe  in  the 
*'  tenth  month.^ 

"  I  ordained  that  parents  should  be  beloved  by  their 
"  children. 

"  I  inflicted  retribution  on  those  that  feel  no  love  for 
*'  their  parents.  ^*^ 


Sep,    \\° 
1       " 


■^  ,  Sothis,  or  the  Dog-star. 


"great  goddess." 


2  Isis  as  Bast,  Lady  of  Bubastis. 

*  Here  Isis  assumes  the  ro/e  of  the  female  counterpart  of  Shu,  who 
lifted  up  the  sky  from  the  Earth-god  Keb  ;  thus  she  is  a  goddess  of 
light. 

^  Here  Isis  assumes  the  character  of  a  female  Thoth,  or  Maat,  who 
marked  out  the  courses  of  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars  in  the  heavens. 
Osiris  was  the  soul  of  the  sun,  and  Isis  the  spirit  of  the  moon. 

*^  Isis  as  Maat  directed  the  course  of  the  two  boats  of  the  Sun-god, 
and  so  became  a  goddess  of  navigation.  As  a  goddess  of  the  winds 
she  gave  or  withheld  fair  weather,  and  so,  in  later  times,  became  the 
patroness  of  all  seafaring  folk,  and  delivered  shipwrecked  mariners  from 
their  peril. 

"^  Isis  and  her  twin-sister  Nephthys  were  the  two  goddesses  of  truth 

and  righteousness,  Maati, ^  I) I)      rll  flj  ' '  ^"*^  ^^^7  ^^^^  always 

present  in  the  Hall  of  Judgment  of  Osiris  at  the  weighing  of  the  hearts 
of  the  dead. 

^  Isis  here  assumes  the  character  of  the  goddess  Hathor. 

^  I  know  of  no  Egyptian  parallel  for  this  statement.  It  seems  to 
mean  that  Isis  decreed  that  the  period  of  utero-gestation  should  be 
fully  nine  months,  and  that  the  perfect  child  was  born  in  the  tenth 
month. 

^^  Love  of  parents  and  the  devotion  of  children,  especially  to  their 
mothers,  are  well-known  characteristics  of  the  ancient  Egyptians. 
Numerous  statues  are  inscribed  with  words  which  show  that  they  were 
set  up  by  pious  sons  to  "  make  to  live  "  their  fathers'  names,  and  the 
famous  moralist  Ani  warns  his  son  not  to  ill-treat  or  neglect  his  mother, 
for  if  she  appeals  to  heaven  God  will  certainly  hear  her  and  punish  him. 


292     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

"  I,  by  aid  of  Osiris  my  brother,  put  an  end  to 
"  anthropophagy.^ 

"  I  revealed  initiations  to  mankind.^ 

"  I  taught  mankind  to  honour  the  statues  of  the 
"  gods. 

"  I  founded  sanctuaries  of  the  g-ods.^ 

"  I  overthrew  the  sovereignties  of  tyrants. 

"  I  compelled  women  to  be  beloved  by  men.* 

"  I  made  justice  more  mighty  than  gold  and  silver. 

"  I  ordained  that  truth  should  be  accounted  beautiful.^ 

"  I  found  out  marriage  contracts  for  women. 

"  I  appointed  separate  languages  for  Greeks  and  for 
"  foreigners. 

"  I  made  virtue  and  vice  to  be  distinguished  by 
"  instinct. 

"  I  imposed  the  tribute  of  an  oath  on  those  .  .  . 
"  unjustly." 

The  exact  form  of  the  cult  of  Osiris  and  I  sis  as  it 
obtained  in  the  countries  where  Greek  culture  had 
penetrated,  and  especially  in  Italy,  was  based  upon  the 
religion  which  the  early  Ptolemies  organized  for  their 
Greek  and  Egyptian  subjects  in  Egypt,  The  first 
Ptolemy  is  said  to  have  taken  counsel  with  Manetho, 
the  famous  priest  of  Sebennytus,  and  with  Timotheus, 
a  Greek,  who  was  skilled  in  the  knowledge  of  the 
Eleusinian  Mysteries.  In  it  the  Egyptian  characteristics 
of  I  sis  were  retained,  but  to  these  were  added  attributes 

^  See  the  chapter  on  Osiris  and  Cannibah'sm.  There  seems  to  be 
no  doubt  that  the  primitive  Egyptians  were  cannibals,  and  that  men 
only  ceased  to  be  so  after  they  learned  to  grow  wheat,  barley,  and  dhura. 
Sacramental  cannibalism  probably  never  died  out,  and  it  is  common  in 
some  parts  of  Africa  at  the  present  day. 

"  I.e.^  Isis  established  regulations  which  prescribed  purity  of  mind 
and  body  for  all  who  wished  to  become  her  priests.  Fasting  from  meat 
and  fish  and  abstention  from  the  use  of  women  were  common  among 
the  Egyptians,  as  we  see  from  the  Rubrics  to  the  Book  of  the  Dead. 

^  The  allusion  here  is  probably  to  the  fourteen,  or  sixteen,  temples 
of  Osiris  which  Isis  built  over  her  husband's  scattered  limbs. 

*  Isis  here  assumes  the  character  of  the  goddess  Hathor. 

^  Isis  and  her  twin-sister  Nephthys  were  the  two  goddesses  of  truth 

and  righteousness,  Maati, ^  [3(3      NT  m  '  '   ^"^  ^^^y  were  always 

present  in  the  Hall  of  Judgment  of  Osiris  at  the  weighing  of  the  hearts 
of  the  dead. 


Worship  of  Osiris  in  Foreign  Lands      293 

which  were  essentially  the  products  of  a  non-African 
mind.  The  character  of  Osiris  was  changed  in  some 
respects,  and  his  name  was  changed  to  Sarapis.  The 
ancient  leo^ends  of  Osiris  and  Isis  were  mixed  with 
legends  of  non- Egyptian  Nature-spirits,  and  the  rapidity 
with  which  the  new  form  of  the  cult  of  Osiris  and  Isis 
spread  proves  that  it  offered  to  peoples  of  many  climes 
and  tongues  a  form  of  worship  of  God  which  satisfied 
their  religious  needs  and  was  highly  acceptable  to  them. 
In  the  first  place  the  new  cult  came  from  Egypt,  the 
land  of  mystery  par  excellence,  and  the  home  of  a 
civilization  which  had  lasted  for  thousands  of  years. 
The  ascetic  practices  of  the  priests  and  priestesses,  their 
abstention  from  meats,  their  fastings  and  habits  of  self- 
denial,  and  their  continence,  appealed  to  all  men.  The 
ceremonies  connected  with  the  worship  of  Isis  impressed 
the  imagination  of  all  beholders,  and  the  acting  of  the 
I  sis-play,  in  which  her  search  for  the  body  of  Osiris,  her 
finding  it,  her  union  with  her  dead  husband,  the  concep- 
tion and  birth  of  Horus,  her  sorrows,  and  her  ultimate 
triumph,  all  represented  by  skilled  actors,  convinced  men 
against  their  will  that  the  cult  of  Osiris  and  Isis  was 
based  upon  irrefutable  facts.  Moreover,  it  revived  and 
increased  the  faith  in  God  and  in  the  reality  of  spiritual 
things,  which  the  teachings  of  the  philosophers  had 
well-nigh  destroyed  in  their  hearts.  Above  all,  it  gave 
men  the  hope  of  a  resurrection,  and  preached  the 
doctrine  of  a  second  birth,  and  of  a  new  and  pure 
existence  in  heaven,  in  the  kingdom  of  Osiris  and  Isis, 
the  passport  to  which  was  the  forsaking  of  sin,  purity  in 
word  and  deed,  and  reverent  worship  of  these  gods. 

The  progress  of  the  cult  of  Osiris  and  Isis  had  made 
such  strides  in  Italy  at  the  beginning  of  the  first 
century  B.C.  that  it  was  possible  for  its  votaries  to  found 
a  College  of  the  Servants  of  Isis,  or  Pastophori,  in  Rome 
in  the  time  of  Sulla,  about  80  B.C.,  and  to  build  a  temple 
in  the  city.  These  proceedings  were  not  regarded  with 
favour  by  the  authorities  or  by  the  local  priesthoods, 
and  as  a  result  the  temple  of  Isis  was  thrice  destroyed  by 
the  Consuls,  in  58,  50,  and  48  B.C.  In  Campania  the 
worship  of  Osiris  and  Isis  was  established  at  a  still 
earlier  period,  for  an  inscription  found  at  Puteoli,  dated 


294     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

in  the  year  equivalent  to  105  B.C.,  proves  that  a  temple 
of  Sarapis  existed  in  the  city  at  that  date.^  Iri  44  b.c. 
the  triumvirs  built  a  temple  in  Rome  in  honour  of  Isis 
and  Osiris,  and  a  "  few  decades  later  "  the  festival  of 
these  gods  was  recognized  in  the  public  calendar. 
Somewhere  about  the  beginning  of  the  first  century 
a  temple  of  Isis  was  built  at  Pompeii.  This  appears  to 
have  been  destroyed  by  an  earthquake  in  the  year  65, 
but  it  was  rebuilt  from  its  foundation  by  Numerius 
Popidius  Ampliatus  and  his  wife  Corelia  Celsa  in  the 
name  of  their  son  Celsinus,  who  was  then  a  child  only 
six  years  old.  As  a  reward  the  City  Fathers,  the 
decurions,  admitted  the  nominal  rebuilder  of  the  temple 
to  their  own  rank,  remitting  the  usual  fees.  According 
to  Mau,^  this  temple  consisted  of  an  oblong  cella,  the 
east  side  of  which  was  treated  as  a  front,  with  a  portico 
borne  by  six  columns.  A  pit  for  the  refuse  of  the 
sacrifices  was  made  in  the  corner  of  the  court  near  the 
entrance  from  the  street,  and  in  the  opposite  corner  was 
an  enclosure  like  a  small  temple.  Near  this  were  two 
altars,  a  third  stood  close  to  the  temple,  and  there  were 
five  others  between  the  columns.  The  temple  possessed 
no  specially  Egyptian  characteristics,  and  the  ornaments 
were  made  of  stucco.  A  broad  flight  of  steps  was  built 
in  front  of  the  temple,  and  on  the  left  side  was  a  narrow 
stairway  leading  to  a  door  opening  in  the  cella.  Across 
the  rear  of  the  cella  was  a  base  of  masonry  six  feet  high, 
on  which  were  pedestals  for  statues  of  Isis  and  Osiris. 
In  the  two  large  niches  outside  were  perhaps  statues  of 
Anubis  and  Harpokrates.  The  walls  of  the  colonnade 
were  painted  in  bright  colours  on  a  deep  red  ground. 
The  upper  parts  of  the  columns  were  white,  the  lower 
were  red,  and  the  temple  was  white.  In  the  colonnade 
was  a  yellow  base,  and  above  it  were  large  red  panels, 
alternated  with  light,  fantastic,  architectural  designs  In 
yellow  on  a  red  ground.  The  frieze  was  black,  with 
garlands  in  strong  contrast — green,  blue,  and  yellow — 
enlivened  with  all  sorts  of  animal  forms.  In  the  middle 
of  each  of  the  large  panels  was  a  priest  of  Isis,  and  In 
the  lower  parts  of  the  Intervening  architectural  designs 

^  Pompeii:  Its  Life  and  Art,  London,  1899,  p.  163. 
2  Op.  cit.,  p.  165  ff. 


Worship  of  Osiris  in  Foreign  Lands       295 

were  marine  pictures,  galley  manoeuvring,  and  sea  fights. 
The  principal  altar  was  near  the  foot  of  the  steps  in 
front.  At  the  back  of  the  courtyard  stood  a  cylindrical 
leaden  vessel,  adorned  with  Egyptian  figures  in  relief; 
this  was  kept  filled  with  water  from  a  pipe  connected 
with  the  city  aqueduct,  and  here  the  devout  made  their 
ablutions,  which  formed  a  very  important  part  of  the 
worship  of  the  goddess.  In  the  south-east  corner  of  the 
court  was  the  Purgatorium,  below  which  was  an  under- 
ground chamber,  with  a  tank  which  held  the  holy  Nile 
water.  On  the  south  side  of  the  temple,  at  the  back  of 
the  colonnade,  were  rooms  which  were  used  as  a  kitchen, 
a  dining  room,  and  a  bed  room.  One  of  these  rooms 
was  richly  decorated,  in  the  last  Pompeian  style,  with 
seven  large  paintings  representing  Egyptian  landscapes, 
and  lo  watched  by  Argus,  and  lo  being  received  by 
Isis  in  Egypt.  In  this  room  the  Mysteries  of  I  sis  were 
probably  acted.  In  an  adjoining  room,  entered  from 
the  colonnade  by  a  narrow  door  which  could  be  securely 
fastened,  the  walls  were  decorated  with  large,  sketchy 
pictures  of  Isis,  Osiris,  Typhon  (Set),  and  sacred  animals 
and  symbols.  This  room  was  probably  used  for  per- 
forminor  the  most  secret  ceremonies  connected  with  the 
worship  of  Isis  ;  they  were  most  likely  phallic  in 
character.  In  this  room  was  an  alcove  in  which  temple 
property  seems  to  have  been  stored. 

Two  services  were  held  in  the  temple  of  Isis  daily. 
Long  before  dawn  the  votaries  of  the  goddess  assembled 
outside  the  door  of  the  courtyard  of  the  temple,  and  the 
chief  priest  entered  the  temple  through  the  small  side 
door,  and  unbolted  the  great  doors  and  threw  them  back, 
and  hung  up  white  linen  curtains  across  the  doorway, 
which  hid  the  sanctuary  from  view.  At  dawn  the  door 
of  the  courtyard  was  opened,  and  the  public  streamed  in, 
and  people  took  their  places  in  front  of  the  temple. 
Then  the  linen  curtains  were  drawn  aside,  and  in  the 
ofrowinof  lieht  the  form  and  features  of  the  croddess 
became  visible  to  her  worshippers.  Whilst  the  priest 
went  round  performing  the  appointed  rites  at  the  various 
altars,  and  reciting  prayers,  the  crowd  continued  to  gaze 
on  Isis,  and  prayed  and  rattled  sistra  at  intervals.  The 
priest  then   fetched  water   from   the    underground   tank 


296     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

and  poured  out  a  libation  from  a  holy  vessel,  and  as  the 
sun  rose  all  present  saluted  him,  and  with  loud  cries 
announced  the  first  hour  of  the  day.^  The  second 
service  was  held  early  in  the  afternoon,  and  consisted 
in  the  adoration  of  the  holy  water  of  the  Nile.  A  priest 
stood  on  the  steps  before  the  temple  holding  a  vessel 
containing  Nile  water,  whilst  two  priests,  who  stood  on 
the  top  of  the  steps,  one  on  each  side  of  the  temple 
door,  rattled  sistra  ;  a  fourth  priest  fanned  a  fire  at  an 
altar  placed  at  the  foot  of  the  steps,  and  a  player  made 
music  on  his  flute.  A  priestess  of  Isis  stood  on  the  top 
of  the  steps  in  the  doorway.  The  worshippers  assembled 
on  each  side  of  the  altar  and  sang  and  rattled  sistra. 
Details  of  the  service  are  wanting. 

The  chief  festivals  of  Isis  were  two.  The  first 
commemorated  the  murder  of  Osiris  and  the  finding-  of 
his  body  by  Isis,  It  opened  on  November  10  with  the 
singing  of  dirges  and  loud  and  bitter  lamentations  for 
the  death  of  Osiris,  which  were,  no  doubt,  based  upon 
the  compositions  which  were  sung  in  Egypt  about  the 
same  time.  Then,  on  the  second  day,  scenes  were 
enacted  which  represented  the  frantic  grief  and  anxiety 
of  those  who  went  about  searching  for  the  body  of 
Osiris.  On  the  third  day  Isis  found  the  body  of  her 
husband,  and  there  was  great  rejoicing  in  the  temple. 
Grief  gave  place  to  gladness  and  tears  to  laughter, 
musicians  of  all  kinds  assembled  and  played  their  instru- 
ments, and  men  and  women  danced,  and  the  festival 
frequently  ended  with  lascivious  rompings  and  orgies. 

The  second  great  festival  was  celebrated  in  the 
spring,  when  Isis  had  'Taid  to  rest  the  storms  of  winter 
and  stilled  the  tempestuous  waves  of  the  sea,"  and  the 
most  important  ceremony  performed  in  connection  with 
it  was  the  dedication  to  the  goddess  of  ''  a  barque  that 
had  never  sailed  the  waves."  A  good  description  of 
this  festival,  as  it  was  celebrated  at  Cenchieae  of  Corinth, 
on  the  Aegean  and  Saronic  seas,  is  given  by  Apuleius,^ 
and  from  this  the  following  summary  is  made.  At  the 
head  of  the  great  procession  came  men  who  were  dressed 
to    represent    a    soldier,    a  huntsman,  a   woman,  and  a 

^  See  Apuleius,  XI,  20. 
2  Ibid.,  XI,  8  ff. 


Worship  of  Osiris  in  Foreign  Lands      297 

gladiator.  These  were  followed  by  men  dressed  as 
magistrates,  philosophers,  fowlers,  and  fishermen.  Then 
came  a  tame  bear  clad  like  a  matron  and  borne  in  a 
litter ;  a  monkey  wearing  a  Phrygian  plaited  hat  and 
saffron  robe,  and  carrying  a  golden  cup  to  represent 
Ganymede  ;  and  an  ass  with  false  wings  glued  to  his 
back  walking  by  the  side  of  an  old  man.  These  were 
supposed  to  represent  Pegasus  and  Bellerophon.  Then 
came  women  wearing-  white  raiment  and  o-arlands  of 
Spring  flowers,  scattering  blossoms  as  they  went  ;  women 
with  mirrors  held  reversed  behind  their  backs,  for  the 
use  of  the  goddess  as  she  moved  on  her  way  ;  women 
with  combs  of  ivory  imitating  actions  connected  with  the 
combing  and  dressing  of  the  hair  of  the  goddess  ;  and 
women  who  sprinkled  the  ground  with  scent  and  balsam 
as  they  walked.  After  these  came  a  mixed  multitude 
bearing  in  their  hands  lanterns,  tapers,  torches,  and  all 
kinds  of  lights,  which  represented  the  stars  of  heaven 
over  which  the  goddess  presided.  These  were  followed 
by  the  musicians  and  a  choir  of  youths,  magnificently 
dressed  in  festal  apparel,  and  singing  to  the  sound  of  the 
pipe  and  flute  a  beautiful  hymn  to  the  goddess.  With 
these  came  the  flute-players  of  Sarapis,  who  "  through 
a  reed  held  slantwise  toward  the  right  ear,  repeated 
the  hymn  that  the  god  and  his  temple  claim  for  their 
own." 

Next  followed  a  crowd  of  men  and  women  of  every 
rank  and  age  clad  in  white  linen  apparel,  the  men  with 
shaved  heads,  and  the  women  with  their  scented  hair 
covered  with  translucent  gauze.  These  represented 
those  who  had  been  initiated  in  the  divine  rites.  Among 
them  were  the  priests  who  bore  the  '*  glorious  emblems 
of  the  most  potent  gods,"  which  consisted  of  a  golden 
bowl  of  fire,  an  altar,  a  golden  palm  tree,  the  herald's 
staff  of  Mercury,  a  deformed  left  hand  with  open  palm, 
a  golden  vessel,  in  the  form  of  a  woman's  breast,  from 
which  libations  of  milk  were  poured,  a  golden  winnowing 
fan,  and  a  pitcher.  After  these  came  the  gods  who 
deigned  to  walk  with  feet  upon  the  earth.  First  came 
Anubis.  the  dread  envoy  who  goes  between  the  lords  of 
heaven  and  of  the  Nether  World.  He  was  lofty  of 
stature,  and  his  face  appeared  to  be  black  at  one  time 


298     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

and  golden  bright  at  another  ;  in  his  left  hand  he  bore 
a  herald's  wand,  and  in  his  right  a  palm  branch.  Next 
came  a  priest  supporting  on  his  shoulders  a  heifer  which 
held  itself  erect  in  human  fashion,  and  symbolized  the 
fruitful  mother  of  all  things.  Another  priest  bore  an 
ark  full  of  objects  of  mysterious  significations  which 
symbolized  the  mysteries  of  the  glorious  faith.  Another 
carried  the  awful  image  of  the  mighty  deity,  the  emblem 
of  whose  meaning  no  man  may  speak,  it  was  "  the 
"  symbol  of  the  loftiest  of  faiths,  whose  mysteries  must 
"  be  shrouded  in  deep  silence."  It  was  neither  like 
cattle,  nor  wild  beast,  nor  bird,  nor  man.  This  object 
was  a  small  gold  urn  hollowed  out  with  wondrous  skill  ; 
its  bottom  was  perfectly  round,  and  its  exterior  was 
adorned  with  strange  Egyptian  figures.  "Its  mouth 
"  projected  into  a  long  low  spout  with  outstretched  tube. 
"  On  the  other  side,  with  ample  arch,  extended  a  long 
"  retreating  handle,  on  which  was  set  an  asp  with  twisted 
"  coils,  holding  erect  the  streaked  scales  of  its  swelling 
"  neck." 

When  the  procession  reached  shore, -^  the  high  priest 
arranged  the  images  in  order,  and  made  solemn  supplica- 
tions, and  then  dedicated  to  the  goddess,  having  first 
purified  it  with  a  torch,  and  sulphur,  and  the  breaking 
of  eggs,  a  beautifully  made  ship  decorated  with  marvellous 
Egyptian  paintings.  On  the  sail  was  worked  in  thread 
of  gold  the  inaugural  prayer  for  prosperous  seafaring  in 
the  new  year's  commerce.  Its  mast  was  of  rounded 
pine,  all  the  hull  was  made  of  polished  sandalwood,  and 
the  stern  was  plated  with  gold.  Then  one  vied  with  the 
other  in  loading  the  ship  with  winnowing  fans  heaped 
high  with  spice  and  other  offerings  of  supplication. 
A  libation  of  paste  mixed  with  milk  was  poured  over  the 
waves,  and  when  the  ship  was  loaded,  it  was  loosed  from 
its  moorings,  and  launched  on  the  sea  with  the  help  of 
a  favouring  breeze  ;  and  all  the  people,  having  watched 
it  till  it  was  out  of  sight,  returned  to  the  temple  in  the 
order  in  which  they  had  come.  When  they  arrived 
there  the  priests,  and  the  image-bearers,  and  the  initiated 
arranged  the  "breathing  effigies  "  each  in  its  appointed 
place.  Then  the  "scribe"  summoned  all  the  Pasto- 
^  Apuleius,  XI,  16. 


Worship  of  Osiris  in  Foreign  Lands      299 

phori,  or  members  of  the  College  of  I  sis,  and  mounting 
a  lofty  tribunal  recited  from  a  book  prayers  for  the 
prosperity  of  the  Emperor,  the  senate,  the  knights,  the 
Roman  people,  the  sailors  and  the  ships,  and  everything 
which  was  under  the  command  and  governance  of  the 
Roman  world.  Then  in  the  Greek  language,  and  after 
he  had  recited  the  Greek  ritual,  he  proclaimed  the 
"  Launching  of  the  Ships."  A  shout  rose  from  the 
people,  who  kissed  the  feet  of  the  silver  statue  of  I  sis 
which  stood  on  the  steps  of  the  temple,  and  then 
departed  to  their  homes  in  ecstasies  of  joy,  bearing 
green  branches  and  sacred  wands  and  wreaths. 

The  above  description  of  the  "  Launching  of  the 
Ships  "  is  based  on  the  account  of  the  great  festival  of 
I  sis  written  by  one  Lucius,  who  was  a  loyal  servant  of 
the  goddess.  It  will  be  remembered  that  he  had  been 
transformed  into  an  ass,  and  that  having  suffered  many 
troubles  in  this  form,  he  prayed  to  I  sis  to  restore  to  him 
his  human  shape  during  the  spring  festival  of  the 
goddess.  Having  made  to  her  the  prayer  already 
quoted,  he  lay  down  to  sleep,  and,  he  says  : 

"  Yet  scarce  had  I  closed  my  eyes  in  sleep,  when  lo  ! 
from  the  mid  deep  there  rose  a  face  divine  that  lifted 
towards  me  a  countenance  to  which  even  the  gods 
must  do  reverence.  And  then  slowly,  methought, 
appeared  a  shining  semblance,  that  rose  till  all  its  body 
was  in  view  and  shook  the  brine  from  its  limbs  and 
stood  before  me.  I  will  strive  to  tell  you  all  the 
wonder  of  the  sight,  if  but  the  poverty  of  human 
speech  give  me  power  to  tell,  or  the  godhead  itself  that 
dwelt  within  that  form  supply  rich  store  of  speaking 
eloquence.  First,  the  tresses  of  its  hair  were  thick 
and  long  and  streamed  softly  down,  now  tangled,  now 
straying  wide  about  that  neck  divine.  About  its  lofty 
brow  was  bound  a  crown  of  many  shapes  and  varied 
flowers,  and  in  the  midst  thereof  above  the  forehead 
there  shone  white  and  glowing  a  round  disc  like  a 
mirror  or  after  the  semblance  of  the  moon  ;  to  right 
and  left  it  was  bound  about  with  the  furrowed  coils  of 
climbing  vipers  ;  above,  it  stretched  forth  ears  of  corn. 
The  tunic  was  of  many  colours,  woven  of  fine  linen, 
now  gleaming  with  a  snowy  brightness,  now  yellow 


300     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

"  with  hue  of  saffron,  now  blushing  with  roseate  flame. 
"  But  the  cloak  It  was  that  dazzled  my  gaze  far  beyond 
"  all  else,  for  it  was  of  deep  black  glistering  with  sable 
"  sheen  ;  it  was  cast  round  and  about  the  body,  and 
"  passing  under  the  right  side  was  brought  back  to  the 
"  left  shoulder.  Part  of  it  hung  shieldwise  down  and 
"  drooped  in  many  a  fold,  and  the  whole  streamed 
"  seemly  to  its  utmost  edge  with  tasselled  fringe.  Along 
"  its  broidered  border,  and  on  its  surface  also,  were 
"  scattered  sparkling  stars,  and  in  their  midst  the  full 
"  moon  breathed  forth  her  flaming  fire.  But  whereso- 
"  ever  streamed  the  embracing  folds  of  that  wondrous 
"  cloak,  there  clung  a  garland's  endless  wreath,  wrought 
"  of  all  manner  of  flowers,  all  manner  of  fruit. 

"  In  its  hands  the  apparition  held  emblems  of 
'*  different  aspect.  The  right  hand  carried  a  bronze 
"  rattle  made  of  a  slender  sheet  of  metal  curved  like  a 
"  belt,  through  the  midst  of  which  were  thrust  a  few 
"  small  wands,  that  gave  forth  a  tinkling  sound  when  the 
"  arm  that  bore  them  shook  thrice  with  quivering  pulsa- 
"  tion.  From  the  left  hand  hung  a  golden  cup,  from 
"  whose  slender  handle's  most  conspicuous  part  there 
"  rose  an  asp  towering  with  head  erect  and  neck  that 
"  swelled  to  this  side  and  to  that.  The  ambrosial  feet 
"  were  shod  with  sandals  woven  of  the  leaves  of 
"  victorious  palm.  Such  was  the  vision,  and  of  such 
"  mighty  aspect,  that,  breathing  forth  all  the  blest 
"  fragrance  of  African  balms,  thus  deigned  to  honour  me 
"  with  utterance  divine."^ 

In  her  answer  the  goddess  promised  to  grant  the 
request  of  Lucius,  and  told  him  how  his  transformation 
into  human  shape  once  more  was  to  be  effected.  Every- 
thing happened  as  I  sis  said,  and  Lucius  was  filled  with 
the  deepest  gratitude  to  the  goddess,  and  determined  to 
devote  his  life  to  her  service.  He  frequented  the 
worship  of  I  sis,  with  all  its  exacting  service,  more 
zealously  than  ever,  and  his  desire  for  admission  to  the 
Mysteries  increased  daily,  and  he  visited  the  high  priest 
frequently,  and  urged  him  to  initiate  him  Into  the  secrets 
of  the  night  that  is  holy  to  the  goddess.  The  priest 
entreated  him  to  be  patient,  and  told  him  that  the  day 
^  Butler's  translation,  p.  128  f. 


Worship  of  Osiris  in  Foreign  Lands      301 

of  initiation  was  fixed  by  the  goddess,  who  also  chose  the 
priest  destined  to  perform  the  service,  and  fixed  the  sum 
to  be  expended  on  the  ceremony.  No  one,  he  added, 
dares  to  venture  rashly  and  sacrilegiously  to  undertake 
the  service  of  the  goddess  without  her  express  command 
and  thus  to  contract  mortal  guilt.  "  For  the  gates  of  hell 
"  and  the  power  of  life  are  in  the  hands  of  the  goddess, 
"  and  the  very  act  of  dedication  is  regarded  as  a  voluntary 
*'  death  and  an  imperilling  of  life,  inasmuch  as  the  goddess 
**  is  wont  to  select  those  whose  term  of  life  is  near  its 
"  close  and  who  stand  on  the  threshold  of  the  night,  and 
"  are,  moreover,  men  to  whom  the  mighty  mysteries  of  the 
"  goddess  may  safely  be  committed.  These  men  the 
"  goddess  by  her  providence  brings  to  new  birth  and 
"  places  once  more  at  the  start  of  a  new  race  of  life.^ 
The  high  priest  then  warned  him  to  abstain  from 
"impious  and  unlawful  foods,"  so  as  to  win  his  way  to 
the  purest  of  faiths. 

Lucius  took  his  advice,  was  patient,  and  with  quiet, 
and  gentleness,  and  silence  zealously  attended  the  daily 
performance  of  the  rites  of  the  goddess.  Night  by  night 
he  was  cheered  by  the  clear  commands  of  I  sis  who  told 
him  that  the  day  of  his  initiation  was  come,  and  what 
sums  he  must  expend  at  the  supplications,  and  that 
Mithras  himself,  the  high  priest,  should  reveal  the 
Mysteries  to  him.  Fortified  by  such  revelations  Lucius 
one  night  rose  from  sleep,  and  set  out  for  the  priest's 
house,  intending  to  press  him  to  appoint  him  at  once  to 
the  service  of  the  Mysteries.  The  priest  met  him  on 
his  way,  and  before  Lucius  could  speak,  told  him  that 
the  day  for  the  initiation  into  the  most  holy  secrets  of 
the  Mysteries  had  arrived.  Then  he  led  him  to  the 
doors  of  the  great  shrine,  and  after  celebrating  with 
solemn  rite  the  service  of  the  opening  of  the  gates  and 
performing  the  morning  sacrifice,  he  brought  forth  from 
the  hidden  places  of  the  shrine  certain  books  with  titles 
written  in  undecipherable  letters.  Some  of  these  were  in 
the  shape  of  animals  of  all  kinds,  and  the  extremities  of 
others  were  knotted,  or  curved  like  wheels,  or  closely 
interwoven  like  the  tendrils  of  the  vine.  The  priest, 
having  told  Lucius  what  things  he  had  to  buy,  escorted 

^   Ibid.^  p,  146. 
VOL,  II.  X 


302     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

him  to  the  nearest  baths,  and  as  he  entered,  the  priest 
prayed  the  gods  to  be  gracious  to  Lucius  and  sprinkled 
him  with  water.  He  then  led  him  back  to  the  temple 
and  set  him  at  the  feet  of  the  goddess,  and  having  con- 
fided to  him  certain  holy  secrets  bade  him  to  abstain  from 
all  pleasures  of  the  table,  to  eat  no  living  thing,  and  to 
drink  no  wine.  At  the  end  of  this  time  a  new  linen  robe 
was  placed  on  Lucius  and  he  was  taken  by  the  priest  into 
the  very  heart  of  the  holy  place.  What  was  said  to  him 
there  Lucius  dared  not  divulge,  but  he  says  :  "  I  drew  nigh 
*'  to  the  confines  of  death,  I  trod  the  threshold  of 
"  Proserpine,  I  was  borne  through  all  the  elements  and 
"  returned  to  earth  again.  I  saw  the  sun  gleaming  with 
"  bright  splendour  at  dead  of  night,  I  approached  the 
"  gods  above,  and  the  gods  below,  and  worshipped  them 
"  face  to  face."  When  the  morning  came,  after  the 
performance  of  the  rites,  Lucius  appeared  in  the  twelve 
cloaks  that  are  worn  by  the  initiate.  He  then,  wearing 
an  embroidered  linen  cloak  called  the  "  Cloak  of 
Olympus,"  ascended  a  dais,  bearing  a  flaming  torch  in 
his  right  hand,  and  wearing  a  palm  leaf  crown,  and  the 
curtains  were  suddenly  withdrawn,  and  the  people 
thronged  in  to  gaze  upon  him.  After  dwelling  with  the 
image  of  the  goddess  for  some  days,  he  at  length  entered 
into  the  presence  of  I  sis  herself,  and  having  wiped  her 
feet  with  his  face,  he  addressed  her  with  tears  in  his  eyes 
and  sobs  in  his  voice,  saying  : — 

"  Holy  and  eternal  protectress  of  the  human  race, 
that  dost  alway  cherish  mortals  and  bless  them,  thou 
tendest  the  mischances  of  miserable  men  with  a  sweet 
mother's  love.  Nor  ever  doth  day  nor  restful  night, 
nor  even  the  least  moment  of  time,  pass  uncrowned  by 
thy  blessings,  but  always  by  land  and  sea  thou  guardest 
men,  thou  drivest  from  them  the  storms  of  life  and 
stretchest  out  to  them  thy  saving  hand,  wherewith  thou 
unbindest  even  the  inextricable  weft  of  Fate  ;  thou 
assuagest  the  tempests  of  Fortune,  and  restrainest  the 
baleful  orbits  of  the  stars.  Thee  do  the  gods  of  heaven 
adore,  thee  the  lords  of  the  world  below  do  worship. 
It  is  thou  that  whirlest  the  sphere  of  heaven,  thou  that 
givest  light  to  the  sun,  guidest  the  universe,  and 
tramplest  underfoot  the  powers  of  hell.     For  thee    the 


Worship  of  Osiris  in  Foreign  Lands      303 

stars  shine,  for  thee  the  seasons  return,  in  thee  the 
gods  rejoice  and  the  elements  are  thy  slaves.  At  thy 
nod  the  winds  blow,  the  clouds  give  increase,  the  seeds 
spring  to  birth,  and  the  buds  burgeon.  Before  thy 
majesty  tremble  the  birds  that  go  to  and  fro  in  the 
sky,  the  beasts  that  roam  the  mountain,  the  serpents 
lurking  underground,  the  monsters  that  swim  the  deep. 
But  my  wit  is  all  too  weak  to  tell  of  thy  praise,  my 
wealth  too  slender  to  make  thee  due  offering  of  sacrifice. 
My  voice  is  too  poor  in  utterance  to  tell  what  I  feel 
concerning  thy  majesty.  Nay,  had  I  a  thousand  mouths, 
a  thousand  tongues,  and  everlasting  continuance  of 
unwearied  speech,  it  would  be  all  too  little.  Therefore 
will  I  strive  to  do  all  that  a  poor  yet  faithful  servant 
may.  I  will  guard  the  memory  of  thy  divine  counten- 
ance and  of  thy  most  holy  godhead  deep  hidden  within 
my  heart's  inmost  shrine,  and  their  image  shall  be  with 
me  for  ever."^ 

A  few  days  later  Lucius  bade  the  priest  farewell  and 
departed  from  Cenchieae  for  Rome,  and  when  he  arrived 
there  he  became  a  continual  worshipper  in  the  temple  of 
Queen  I  sis  who,  from  the  situation  of  her  temple,  was 
called  "  Goddess  of  the  Field  of  Mars."  When  Lucius 
had  spent  a  year  in  worshipping  I  sis  in  this  way,  the 
goddess  began  to  warn  him  in  his  slumbers  to  prepare  for 
a  new  initiation.  Pondering  what  the  warnings  of  the 
CToddess  mio^ht  mean  Lucius  consulted  some  of  the 
initiate,  and  at  length  he  learned  that  he  had  still  to  be 
initiated  into  the  Mysteries  of  the  mighty  god,  "  uncon- 
quered  Osiris,  supreme  father  of  the  gods  "  ;  for  though 
the  faith  of  Isis  was  identical  with  that  of  Osiris,  the 
methods  of  initiation  into  the  two  faiths  were  different. 
On  the  very  next  night  Lucius  saw  in  a  vision  one  of  the 
initiate  wearing  a  linen  garment  and  bearing  wands,  and 
ivy,  and  mystic  emblems,  which  he  might  not  describe  ; 
having  placed  these  before  Lucius's  household  gods,  he 
seated  himself  in  his  chair,  and  told  him  to  give  a 
banquet  in  honour  of  the  great  faith.  This  being  walked 
with  a  halting  step,  and  his  left  heel  was  bent  slightly 
upwards.  In  the  morning  he  saw  among  the  Pastophori 
a  man  with  a  foot  shaped  like  that  which  he  had  seen  in 
1  Butler's  translation,  p.  i^i. 

X    2 


304     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

his  dream,  and  on  speaking  to  him  he  learned  that  he 
was  called  Asinius  Marcellus,  and  that  he  had  been 
warned  by  Osiris  himself  to  admit  Lucius  into  his 
Mysteries.  Lucius  was  anxious  for  his  initiation  to  take 
place  at  once,  but  lack  of  funds  prevented  this  ;  at  length 
in  obedience  to  the  express  command  of  Osiris,  he  sold 
his  wardrobe,  and  with  the  money  which  it  fetched 
purchased  the  things  necessary  for  his  initiation.  When 
he  had  done  this,  he  prepared  himself  by  abstinence  from 
animal  food  for  ten  days,  and  shaved  his  head,  and 
frequented  the  service  of  Osiris,  and  was  "  illuminated  by 
the  nocturnal  rites  of  the  lord  of  all  the  gods."  Mean- 
while, he  lived  on  the  gains  which  his  mastery  of  Roman 
eloquence  won  for  him  in  the  Forum. 

After  a  short  time  the  gods  told  him  that  he  must 
prepare  for  a  third  initiation,  but  he  was  troubled  in  his 
mind  about  this  matter,  and  began  to  doubt  the  good 
faith  of  the  priests.  Whilst  thus  tormented  and  stirred 
almost  to  madness  by  his  doubts  and  fears,  he  saw  a 
gracious  midnight  vision,  and  he  was  assured  that  this 
third  initiation  into  the  Mysteries  was  above  all  things 
needful  for  him.  Comforted  by  this  vision,  Lucius  put 
aside  his  doubts,  and  began  a  fresh  course  of  abstinence, 
and  spared  neither  toil  nor  expense  in  preparing  for  his 
initiation.  After  a  few  days  Osiris  appeared  to  him  in 
the  slumber  of  night,  and  welcomed  him  face  to  face 
with  his  own  awful  voice.  He  encouraged  him  to  con- 
tinue his  profession  in  the  Forum,  to  fear  no  ill-wishers, 
and  chose  him  to  be  one  of  the  chief  elders  among-  his 
Pastophori.  Once  more  Lucius  shaved  his  head,  and 
joyfully  performed  the  duties  of  that  most  ancient 
company  of  priests  that  was  established  in  the  great 
days  of  Sulla. 

Lucius,  it  is  clear,  was  a  devoted  priest  of  the  cult 
of  Osiris  and  Isis,  and  it  is  not  difficult  to  think  that  his 
belief  in  the  reality  and  greatness  of  these  gods  was 
equal  to  his  professions  of  faith  in  them.  But  the 
Mysteries  to  which  he  refers  so  often  must  have 
possessed  very  little  significance  to  the  minds  of  the 
lower  classes,  who  were  attracted  by  the  singing  and 
dancing,  and  opportunities  for  rough  play,  which 
accompanied    the    celebrations    of   the    festivals   of   the 


Worship  of  Osiris  in  Foreign  Lands      305 

goddess,  and  there  must  have  been  large  numbers  of 
people  who  scoffed  at  the  animal  forms  of  the  Egyptian 
gods,  and  at  the  extraordinary  symbols  and  ceremonies 
which  appertained  to  their  cult.  The  feelings  of  such 
are  voiced  by  Lucian  in  his  short  work,  The  Council  of 
the  Gods,  in  which  he  describes  a  meeting  of  the  three 
gods,  Zeus,  Hermes,  and  Momus,  to  discuss  the  com- 
plaints made  by  the  last  named  to  the  effect  that  the 
banquet  of  the  gods  had  been  thrown  open  to  a  number 
of  undesirable  persons.  Momus,  the  "  Accuser  General," 
complained  that  many  persons,  in  spite  of  their  mixed 
origin,  had  been  admitted  to  the  feasts  and  councils  of 
the  gods  upon  terms  of  equality,  that  such  had  brought 
with  them  their  servants  and  satellites  and  enrolled  them 
among  the  gods  ;  and  that  these  menials  shared  in  their 
rations  and  sacrifices  without  even  so  much  as  paying 
the  customary  tax.^  Momus  went  so  far  as  to  point  out 
to  Zeus  that  the  mixed  state  of  society  among  the  gods 
was  due  to  him  and  his  terrestrial  gallantries,  and  that 
heaven  was  simply  swarming  with  the  demi-gods  whom 
Zeus  had  introduced.  It  was  all  the  result  of  the 
attentions  paid  by  him  to  the  daughters  of  Earth,  and 
the  goddesses  were  just  as  bad  as  the  gods.  Momus 
then  went  on  to  comment  unfavourably  on  Dionysus, 
Attis,  Corybas,  Sabazius  and  Mithras,  and  then  went  on 
to  attack  the  gods  of  Egypt.  He  said  :  "I  shall  just 
like  to  ask  that  Egyptian  there — the  dog-faced  gentleman 
in  the  linen  suit  (Anubis) — who  he  is,  and  whether  he 
proposes  to  establish  his  divinity  by  barking  .'*  And  will 
the  piebald  bull  yonder  (Apis),  from  Memphis,  explain 
what  he  has  for  a  temple,  an  oracle,  or  a  priest  ?  As  for 
the  ibises  and  monkeys  and  goats  and  worse  absurdities 
that  are  bundled  in  upon  us,  goodness  knows  how,  from 
Egypt,  I  am  ashamed  to  speak  of  them  ;  nor  do  I  under- 
stand how  you,  gentlemen,  can  endure  to  see  such 
creatures  enjoying  a  prestige  equal  or  greater  than  your 

1  In  the  Bill  to  amend  these  matters  introduced  by  Sleep  and  read 
by  Momus  it  was  stated  that,  owing  to  heaven  being  filled  with  false 
gods  who  troubled  the  banquets  with  a  tumultuous  rout  of  miscellaneous 
polyglot  humanity,  there  was  a  deficiency  in  the  suppUes  of  ambrosia 
and  nectar  ;  and  that  owing  to  the  increased  consumption  the  price  of 
the  latter  commodity  had  increased  to  four  pounds  the  half-pint. — 
H.  W.  and  F.  G.  Fowler,   Works  of  Lucian,  Vol.  IV,  p.  171. 


3o6     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

own.  And  you  yourself,  sir,  must  surely  find  ram's 
horns  a  great  inconvenience "  ?  To  this  Zeus  replied 
that  the  way  in  which  the  Egyptians  went  on  was  dis- 
graceful, but  he  reminded  Momus  that  there  was  an 
occult  significance  in  most  of  the  things,  and  that  it  ill 
became  him,  who  was  not  one  of  the  initiate,  to  ridicule 
them.  To  this  Momus  tartly  replied  :  "A  god  is  one 
thing,  and  a  person  with  a  dog's  head  is  another  ;  I  need 
no  initiation  to  tell  me  that."^ 

In  spite,  however,  of  all  jibes,  and  jeers,  and  ridicule, 
the  cult  of  Osiris  and  I  sis  spread  all  over  Southern 
Europe,  and  into  many  parts  of  North  Africa,  and  it 
continued  to  be  a  religious  power  in  them  until  the  close 
of  the  fourth  century  a.d.  At  Philae,  as  we  have 
already  seen,  the  worship  of  Osiris  and  Isis  continued 
until  the  reign  of  Justinian,  and  it  only  came  to  an  end 
in  Nubia  then  because  the  Emperor  caused  the  temple 
to  be  closed  by  force,  and  confiscated  the  revenues  of  the 
shrine.  The  ideas  and  beliefs  which  were  the  founda- 
tions of  the  cult  were  not  even  then  destroyed,  for  they 
survived  in  Christianity.  And  the  bulk  of  the  masses  In 
Egypt  and  Nubia  who  professed  Christianity  transferred 
to  Mary  the  Virgin  the  attributes  of  I  sis  the  Everlasting- 
Mother,  and  to  the  Babe  Jesus  those  of  Horus.  About 
the  middle  of  the  Ptolemaic  Period  the  attributes  of 
Osiris  were  changed,  and  after  his  Identification  with 
Sarapis,  i.e.,  Pluto,  the  god  of  death,  his  power  and 
Influence  declined  rapidly,  for  he  was  no  longer  the  god 
of  life.  In  the  final  state  of  the  cult  of  Osiris  and  Isis, 
the  former  was  the  symbol  of  Death  and  the  latter  the 
symbol  of  Life. 

1  Ibid.,  p.  165  ff. 


APPENDIX 

Translations  from  the  Pyramid  Texts  of  Pepi  I, 
Mer-en-Ra,  and  Pepi  II. 

Heaven  is  solid  (or  firm),  the  earth  is  strong.  Horus 
cometh,  Thoth  riseth,  and  they  raise  up  Osiris  upon  his 
side,^  and  they  make  him  to  stand  up  among  the  gods  of 
the  Two  Companies.  Remember  Set,  keep  in  thy  heart 
the  word  which  Keb  spake,  and  the  threats  (?)  which 
the  gods  made  to  thee  in  the  Temple  of  the  Prince  in 
Heliopolis,  when  thou  hadst  set  Osiris  down  on  the 
earth.  Thou  dost  suppress  Set,  but  dost  not  do  these 
things  to  him  (?).  Thou  hast  the  mastery  there,  thou 
art  delivered,  Horus  hath  made  thee  master.  Thou 
dost  suppress  Set.  The  flesh  of  his  body  (?)  maketh 
entreaty,  his  name  becometh  Aku-ta.  Thou  dost 
suppress  Set.  The  flesh  of  his  body  journeyeth,^  his 
name  becometh  Sah  (Orion),  whose  leg  is  long,  and  his 
stride  extended,  the  President  of  the  Land  of  the  South. 
Osiris  beareth  thee  up  as  Set  bore  him  up  [when]  he 
heard  the  threats  of  the  gods,  which  the  Father-God 
spake. ^  Thine  arm  is  to  I  sis,  Osiris  Pepi,  [and]  the 
palm  of  thy  hand  is  to  Nephthys,  and  thou  goest  forward 
between  them.  Heaven  is  to  thee,  the  earth  is  to  thee, 
Sekhet  Aaru  is  to  thee,  the  Aats  (Domains)  of  Horus, 
the  Aats  of  Set  ;  the  cities  are  to  thee,  and  Tem  hath 
orathered  together  for  thee  the  Nomes.  Keb  hath 
spoken  concerning  it.  Thoth  grindeth  his  knife,  and 
sharpeneth  [his]  knife,  and  crusheth  in  heads,  and 
cutteth  open  breasts,     He  crusheth  in  heads  and  cutteth 

^  ^  zs  n  i^^,  1. 186. 

There  is  a  play  on  the  words  seA     I  ft  3_lx'  ^°  travel,  and  sak 
(I^^Pa^*.  Orion.  '().^^. 


3o8     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

open  the  breasts  of  those  who  attack  this  Pepi,  when 
he  is  journeying  to  thee,  O  Osiris,  he  breaketh  the 
heads  of  those  who  would  repel  this  Pepi  when  he  is 
journeying  to  thee,  O  Osiris,  that  thou  mayest  give  him 
life  and  serenity. 

Pepi^  hath  come  to  thee,  O  Lord"  of  Heaven,  Pepi 
hath  come  to  thee,  O  Osiris.  This  Pepi  hath  cleansed  (?) 
thy  face,  he  hath  arrayed  thee  in  the  apparel  of  the  god, 
he  hath  purified  thee  in  Tchetat.^  The  star  Septet 
(Sothis),  thy  beloved  daughter,  who  maketh  thine 
annual  offerings  to  thee  {i-enput)  in  her  name  of 
"  Renpet,"  is  the  guide  of  this  Pepi  when  he  cometh 
unto  thee.  This  Pepi  cometh  to  thee,  O  Lord  of 
Heaven.  This  Pepi  cometh  to  thee,  O  Osiris.  This 
Pepi  hath  cleansed  thy  face,  he  hath  arrayed  thee  in 
the  apparel  of  the  god,  he  hath  purified  thee  in  Aata,* 
he  hath  devoured  the  flesh  of  thine  enemies, *"  he  hath 
destroyed  them,  Osiris,  and  he  hath  placed  them  at  the 
head  of  the  Henthi  gods.^  This  Pepi  cometh  to  thee, 
O  Lord  of  Heaven,  this  Pepi  cometh  to  thee,  O  Osiris. 
This  Pepi  hath  cleansed  thy  face,  he  hath  arrayed  thee 
in  the  apparel  of  the  god,  and  he  hath  done  for  thee 
what  Keb  commanded  him  to  do  for  thee.  He  hath 
stablished  thy  hand  on  life,  he  hath  lifted  up  thy  hand 
with  serenity  if)?  This  Pepi  cometh  to  thee,  O  Lord 
of  Heaven,  this  Pepi  cometh  to  thee,  O  Osiris.  This 
Pepi  hath  cleansed  thy  face,  he  hath  arrayed  thee  in  the 
apparel  of  the  god.  This  Pepi  hath  purified  thee. 
Behold,  Horus,  thy  son,  whom  thou  hast  brought  forth, 
hath  not  put  this  Pepi  at  the  head  of  the  dead,  but  he 
hath  set  him  among  the  gods  who  are   divine.     Their 


A 

^^^^=^  _M^  "^^""^    o   '~^*^  ~  /vs^  ^  ^  "i  o 

"'     o  ,    1.  189. 

o 


I       I         /H     X|    1    j  .      Perhaps    the   sceptre   1    is 


referred  to. 


Appendix  309 

water  is  the  water  of  this  Pepi,  their  bread  is  the  bread 
of  this  Pepi,  and  their  purifications  are  the  purifications 
of  this  Pepi.  What  Horus  hath  done  for  Osiris  he  hath 
done  for  this  Pepi  (1.  191). 

Homage  to  thee,  O  Ladder  of  the  god  !  Homage  to 
thee,  O  Ladder  of  Set.  Stand  up,  Ladder  of  the  god, 
stand  up,  Ladder  of  Set,  stand  up,  Ladder  of  Horus,  on 
which  Osiris  made  his  appearance  in  heaven,  when  he 
worked  magical  protection  for  Ra.^  Thy  brother  Osiris 
Cometh  to  thee  seeking  [thee],  his  brother  Set  welcometh 
him  on  his  side  (or,  place)  in  his  place  in  the  Gazelle 
Land.^  Horus  cometh  with  his  uraeus  crown  on  him,  he 
repulseth  him  like  his  father  Keb.  This  Pepi  is  thy  son, 
this  Pepi  is  Horus.  Thou  hast  given  birth  to  this  Pepi 
as  thou  hast  given  birth  to  the  god,  the  Lord  of  the 
Ladder.     Thou  hast  o-iven  unto  him  the   Ladder  of  the 

o 

god,  thou  hast  given  unto  him  the  Ladder  of  Set, 
whereon  this  Pepi  made  his  appearance  in  heaven  to 
work  magical  protection  for  Ra.  Hail,  god,  behold 
their  Doubles  pass,  [and]  the  Eye  of  Horus  glideth  on 
the  wing  of  Thoth  from  the  east  side  of  the  Ladder  ; 
men  [have  their]  bodies  in  heaven.  This  Pepi  is  the 
Eye  of  Horus.  When  it  journeyeth  from  wheresoever  it 
is,  this  Pepi  maketh  the  journey  with  the  Eye  of  Horus. 
Be  ye  glad  that  this  Pepi  cometh  among  you,  O  gods, 
his  brethren.  Rejoice  ye  when  ye  meet  this  Pepi, 
O  gods,  his  brethren,  even  as  Horus  rejoiced  when  he 
met  his  Eye.  He  hath  set  his  Eye  before  his  father 
Keb,  and  every  spirit,  and  every  god  reacheth  out  his 
hand  to  this  Pepi  when  he  appeareth  in  heaven  on  the 
Ladder.  He  hath  not  ploughed  the  earth,  he  hath  not 
seized  the  offering,  he  hath  not  gone  to  the  Chamber  in 
Heliopolis,  he  hath  not  gone  to  the  Chamber  of  Light 
in  Heliopolis.  He  hath  touch,  he  hath  taste,  he  seeth, 
he  heareth,  he  appeareth  in  heaven  on  the  Ladder  of 
the  god. 

Pepi  riseth  like  the  uraeus  which  is  over  the  brow  of 
Set,  and  every  spirit  and  every  god  raiseth  his  hand  for 
Pepi  on  the  Ladder  of  the  god.  Pepi  hath  collected  his 
bones,  he  hath  gathered  together  his  intestines,  and  this 


'f1^^^(1^0,1..93.  'ffifP^^ 


3IO     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

Pepi  hath  ascended  into  heaven  through  the  two  fingers 
of  the  God,  the  Lord  of  the  Ladder  (1.  196). 

Open  the  doors  of  heaven,  throw  open  the  doors  of 
the  sky^  to  Horus  of  the  gods,  on  his  appearance  at  dawn, 
having  purified  himself  in  Sekhet-Aaru. 

Open  the  doors  of  heaven,  throw  open  the  doors  of 
the  sky  to  Horus  of  the  East,  on  his  appearance  at  dawn, 
having  purified  himself  in  Sekhet-Aaru. 

Open  the  doors  of  heaven,  throw  open  the  doors  of 
the  sky  to  Horus  of  Shest,^  on  his  appearance  at  dawn, 
having  purified  himself  in  Sekhet-Aaru. 

Open  the  doors  of  heaven,  throw  open  the  doors  of 
the  sky  to  Osiris,  on  his  appearance  at  dawn,  having 
purified  himself  in  Sekhet-Aaru. 

Open  the  doors  of  heaven,  throw  open  the  doors  of 
the  sky  to  this  Pepi,  on  his  appearance  at  dawn,  having 
purified  himself  in  Sekhet-Aaru. 

Therefore  let  appear  him  that  appeareth  at  dawn, 
having  purified  himself  in  Sekhet-Aaru  ;  let  Horus  of 
the  gods  appear  at  dawn,  having  purified  himself  in 
Sekhet-Aaru.  Therefore  let  appear  him  that  appeareth 
at  dawn,  having  purified  himself  in  Sekhet-Aaru ;  let 
Horus  of  Shest  appear  at  dawn,  having  purified  himself 
in  Sekhet-Aaru.  Therefore  let  appear  him  that  appeareth 
at  dawn,  having  purified  himself  in  Sekhet-Aaru ;  let 
Osiris  appear  at  dawn,  having  purified  himself  in 
Sekhet-Aaru.  Therefore  let  appear  him  that  appeareth 
at  dawn,  having  purified  himself  in  Sekhet-Aaru  ;  let 
this  Pepi  appear  at  dawn,  having  purified  himself  in 
Sekhet-Aaru. 

O  Ra,  the  womb  of  Nut  is  filled  with  the  seed  of  the 
Spirit  which  is  in  her.  The  earth  bendeth  under  the 
feet  of  this  Pepi.  Tefnut  stretcheth  out  her  hand  to 
Pepi.  Seker  purifieth  this  Pepi,  Ra  giveth  his  hand  to 
Pepi,  so  that  he  may  promote  Pepi  [to  be]  the  head 
of  the  gods,  Pepi  hath  taken  his  seat  in  the  sky.  O  ye 
who  sing  and  rejoice  carry  ye  this  Pepi  with  you  ;  let 
him  live  for  ever!  (1.  199.) 

Happy  are  those  who  see,  fortunate  (?)  are  those  who 
see  the  appearance  of  this  god  in  heaven,  which  is  like 


Appendix  311 

unto  the  appearance  of  Tern  in  heaven.  His  soul  is  on 
him.  His  spells^  are  on  both  sides  of  him,  his  book  (?) 
(or  knife)  is  at  his  feet.  Pepi  hath  brought  the  towns, 
he  hath  embraced  the  nomes,  and  he  hath  gathered 
together  the  lands  ;  Keb  the  Erpa  of  the  gods  spake 
concerning  this.  The  Domains  of  Horus,  the  Domains 
of  Set,  and  Sekhet-Aaru  praise  this  Pepi.  And  lo, 
Khensu,^  and  Aahes,  the  Governor  of  the  Land  of  the 
South,  Tetun,  the  Governor  of  the  Land  of  the  Bow 
(Ta-Sti  =  Nubia),  and  Sept,  under  his  trees,  carry  the 
ladder  of  this  Pepi,  they  set  upright  the  ladder  of 
this  Pepi,  they  lift  up  the  ladder  of  this  Pepi.  Come, 
ladder  ;  come,  ladder,  come  [in]  thy  name  spoken  by  the 
gods.  Come  ye  who  come !  Come  ye  who  come ! 
Come  ye  who  rest !  Come  ye  who  rest !  Come  ye 
who  lack  !  Come  ye  who  lack  !  Pepi  appeareth  on  the 
two  thighs  of  I  sis,  Pepi  reposeth  on  the  two  thighs  of 
Nephthys.  Tem  the  father  of  Pepi  hath  stretched  out 
his  hand  to  Pepi,  and  thrust  Pepi  at  the  head  of  these 
gods,  wise,  understanding,  imperishable.  Consider,  O 
gods,  that  which  Tem  speaketh  unto  you  :  This  Pepi 
is  at  your  head,  and  lo,  he  is  established  at  your  head 
like  the  bull  which  is  sacrificed  daily  (1.  202). 

Au-qau  (?)  and  Her-f-ha-f,  Pepi  setteth  out  in  his 
boat.  Make  [him]  to  embrace  the  two  horizons  of  the 
sky  ;  this  Pepi  saileth  therein  with  Ra  to  the  horizon. 
Make  Ra  to  embrace  the  two  horizons  of  the  sky  ;  this 
Pepi  saileth  therein  with  Horus  of  the  gods  to  the 
horizon.  Make  this  Pepi  to  embrace  the  two  horizons  of 
the  sky  when  he  saileth  therein  with  Ra  to  the  horizon. 
Having  sailed  he  standeth  up  on  the  east  side  of 
heaven,  in  the  northern  part  thereof,  among  the  imperish- 
able stars,  which  stand  up  on  their  tcham  sceptres,  and 
support  themselves  on  their  staves,  and  this  Pepi  standeth 
up  among  them.     This  Pepi  is  a  brother  of  the  Moon, 

'  ^Uy.    Pepi,  1.  199. 


312     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

the   Morning  Star  giveth  birth  to  him  ;   give  thou  thy 
hand  to  Pepi,  [and]  he  shall  live  (1.  203). 

Hail,  Osiris  this  Pepi !  Raise  thyself  up  on  thy  left 
side,  and  place  thou  thyself  on  thy  right  side,  by  this 
water  of  rejuvenation  which  I  have  given  to  thee.  Hail, 
Osiris  this  Pepi.  Raise  thyself  up  on  thy  left  side,  and 
place  thou  thyself  on  thy  right  side,  by  the  warm  bread 
which  I  have  made  for  thee.  Hail,  Osiris  this  Pepi ! 
The  doors  of  heaven  were  opened  to  thee,  and  the  doors 
of  the  Petchet^  were  thrown  open  to  thee  by  the  body  (?) 
of  the  gods  who  dwell  in  Pe,  when  they  came  to  Osiris 
by  reason  of  the  sound  of  the  lamentation  of  I  sis  and 
Nephthys.  The  Souls  of  Pe  smite  for  thee,  they  smite 
for  thee  their  flesh,  they  grasp  thee  with  their  hands  so 
tightly  that  they  are  to  thee  like  their  tresses.  They 
make  a  speech  to  Horus,  saying  :  Thou  departest,  thou 
comest,  thou  risest  up,  thou  liest  down,  thou  art  stablished 
in  life.  Standing  up  thou  seest  these  things,  standing 
up  thou  hearest  these  things  which  Horus  hath  done  for 
thee.  He  smiteth  thee  and  thou  art  smitten.  He 
fetters  thee  and  thou  art  fettered.  He  placeth  himself 
with  his  (or  thy)  eldest  daughter  in  Oetem,^  thy  great 
sister,  who  collected  thy  flesh,  and  warmed  thy  hands, 
and  embraced  thee  when  she  found  thee  on  thy  side  on 
the  place  Netat,*^  and  there  is  no  grief  in  the  Two 
Halves  of  Egypt.  The  gods  say  to  him  :  "  Hast  thou 
brought  him }  "  Appear  thou,  therefore,  in  Heaven  ; 
become  thou  like  Ap-uat.  Thy  son  Horus  shall  guide 
thee  on  the  roads  of  heaven.  Heaven  is  given  to  thee. 
Earth  is  given  to  thee.  Sekhet-Aaru  is  given  to  thee, 
and  these  Two  Great  Gods  who  come  forth  from  Anu 
(Pepi  H,  1.  872). 

Pour  a  libation.  Pour  a  libation.  Aqa  and  Ap-uat ! 
Watch,  O  ye  who  are  lying  down  !  Wake  up,  O  ye 
who  are  guardians.  Horus  watcheth.  Osiris  Pepi  is  raised 
up  by  the  eldest  son  of  Keb,  and  the  Great  Company  of 
the  Gods  quake  [before]  him.  Thou  art  purified  at 
[each]    month,    the    dead    rise    before    thee,    heads   are 

n       U  >.i==^  .     Pepi,  1.  204. 


Appendix  313 

offered  to  thee,  Ment-urt^  ....  thee,  even  as  "  He  who 
resteth  not,"^  dweller  in  Abydos,  stood  up.  Earth,  hear 
the  things  which  Keb  spake  ;  behold,  he  hath  by  his 
magfical  ceremonies  made  Osiris  a  gfod.  The  Watchers 
of  the  city  of  Pe  make  offerings  to  him.  The  Watchers 
of  the  city  of  Nekhen  pay  reverence  to  him.  Behold 
Seker,  at  the  head  of  the  Petchtu  Lake,  and  Aha,  and 
Hemen,^  speak  to  the  earth,  and  open  the  gates  of  Aker 
(or,  the  Tuat),  and  throw  open  the  gates  of  Keb.  .  .  . 
Thy  speech  cometh  forth  before  Anpu,  thy  rank  cometh 
forth  from  the  mouth  of  Anpu  Heru-khenta-menat-f ; 
the  Lord  of  Saut  bindeth  thee,  the  Jackal  of  the  South, 
the  Great  Chief  of  the  Great  Company  of  the  Gods. 
Thou  art  marvellous  in  heaven  on  thy  throne  of  iron  (or, 
alabaster).  Thou  sailest  over  the  Lake,  thy  face  is 
directed  to  the  north  of  heaven,  Ra  invoketh  thee  as 
Asken  of  the  sky.*  Thou  approachest  the  god,  Set 
maketh  friends  with  thee,  and  the  odour  of  Tetun,  the 
Youth  of  the  South,  is  on  thee,  he  giveth  to  thee  his 
purifying  incense  the  gods  poured  forth  for  him  at  the 
birth  of  the  two  firstborn  daughters  of  the  King  of  the 
North  [and]  of  the  Great  Lady.  Thou  art  watered 
abundantly  in  the  Green  Field,  and  the  water  flood 
cometh  to  the  Children  of  Keb  who  are  there.  Raise 
up  thy  knives,  have  the  mastery  over  [thy]  bows,  Anpu 
giveth  one  offering,  the  palm  tree  followeth  thee,  the 
mulberry  tree  boweth  its  head  to  thee,  thou  goest  round 
about  heaven  like  the  god  Sunthu^  (Pepi  II,  1.  854). 

Every  god  draweth  this  Pepi  to  heaven  [in]  life  and 
stability,  cattle  are  slaughtered  for  him,  and  the  thighs 


^  1     i_l  i^  AAAAAA     1  1  d 


^»    "^  "^  '^  J*^-     Nefer-ka-Ra,  1.  848. 


^V. 


1.208.  '   (l^ci::=6^°  '^.     Pepi  II,  1.  851. 

+  ^^^,^^^^.  M.,,.336; 


Pepi  II,  1.  854. 


314     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

(or,  fore-legs)  have  been  selected  for  him.  He  cometh 
forth  to  Hathor  of  Heaven.  .  .  .  This  Pepi  cometh  to 
thee,  O  Ra,  a  calf  of  gold  brought  forth  by  the  sky, 
a  being  of  gold  made  by  the  goddess  Hesat.  O  Horus, 
carry  thou  with  thee  this  Pepi  [in]  life  and  stability,  and 
reject  thou  him  not.  Pepi  cometh  to  thee,  O  Father, 
Pepi  cometh  to  thee,  O  Keb.  Give  thou  thy  hand  to 
this  Pepi.  This  Pepi  cometh  forth  to  heaven  before  his 
mother  Nut.  .  .  .  Keb  cometh,  with  his  at  crown  on 
his  head,  and  his  qendt  garment  on  him.  He  smiteth 
you.  He  adjudged  the  lands^  to  the  embrace  of  Osiris 
[when]  he  found  him  placed  on  his  side  in  the  town  of 
Kehset.^  Osiris,  thy  father  Keb  stood  up,  he  delivered 
thee  from  the  hand  of  Set.  ...  I  am  he  who  fettered 
his  feet,  fettered  his  hands,  [when]  he  set  himself  on  his 
side  in  the  Land  of  Ru.  O  Horus  on  the  womb  of 
heaven,^  give  thy  hand  to  this  Pepi.  This  Pepi  cometh 
forth  to  the  heaven  of  Nut,  give  thou  thy  hand  to  Pepi 
with  life  and  serenity.  Collect  his  bones,  group  together 
the  intestines  of  his  body.  .  .  .  His  light  appeareth  in 
the  sky  like  that  of  a  great  star  in  the  East. 

Homage  to  you,  O  Waters  brought  by  Shu,  and 
lifted  up  by  Mentefta,'*  wherein  Keb  hath  purified  his 
members,  the  hearts  after  fear,  and  the  breasts  after  the 
knife  (?)  Pepi  was  brought  forth  by  Nu  when  there  was 
no  heaven,  when  there  was  no  earth,  when  there  was  no 
established  thing,  when  there  was  no  fighting  (or,  dis- 
turbance), and  when  there  was  not  the  fear  which  arose 
through  the  Eye  of  Horus.  This  Pepi  is  one  of  the 
Great  Offspring  who  were  brought  forth  in  Anu,  who 
have  never  been  conquered  by  a  king  or  ruled  by  chiefs, 
who  are  irresistible,  whose  words  cannot  be  gainsaid. 
Therefore  this  Pepi  is  irresistible  ;  he  can  neither  be 
conquered  by  a  king  nor  ruled  by  chiefs.  The  enemies 
of  Pepi  do  not  triumph.  Pepi  lacketh  nothing.  His 
nails  do  not  grow  long  [for  want  of  prey].  No  debt  is 
reckoned  to  Pepi.      If  Pepi  falleth  into  the  water  Osiris 


Appendix  315 

will  lift  him  out,  and  the  Two  Companies  of  the  Gods^ 
will  bear  him  up  on  their  shoulders,  and  Ra  will  give 
Pepi  his  hand,  wheresoever  the  god  may  be.  If  Pepi 
falleth  on  to  the  earth,  Keb  will  lift  him  up,  and  the  Two 
Companies  of  the  Gods  will  bear  him  up  on  their 
shoulders,  and  Ra  will  give  him  his  hand,  wheresoever 
the  god  may  be  (Pepi  II,  1.  1235). 

Adoration  be  to  thee,  O  thou  Osiris  Pepi,  thou 
Shining  one  in  the  horizon,  thou  Stable  one  in  the  Place 
of  stability^  who  dost  make  decrees  at  the  head  of  the 
living  for  ever !  Stand  up  on  thy  left  side,  set  thyself 
on  thy  right  side,  and  receive  thou  this  bread  which 
I  give  unto  thee.      I  am  thy  son,  thine  heir. 

Hail,  this  Pepi,  thy  son  Horus  payeth  thee  homage. 
Thy  diadem  is  like  that  of  the  Morning  and  Evening-^ 
Star  in  Nut.  Thy  feet  and  thy  wings  are  like  those  of 
a  hawk  with  a  large  body,  that  is,  [like]  the  kenhesu 
bird,  the  splendour  of  which  is  seen  [as  he  passes]  in  the 
sky.  Thou  sailest  over  the  firmament  as  Ra-Heru- 
Khuti  saileth  over  the  waters  [thereof],  Nut  layeth  her 
hands  upon  thee.   .  .  . 

236.  Heaven  is  open  !  Earth  is  open!  The  shrines* 
of  Peter  are  opened  !  The  strides  of  Nu  are  opened  ! 
The  strides  of  the  god  (?)  Aakhu^  are  opened.  Behold, 
[he]  is  one,  stable  each  day.  These  [things]  his 
ancestors  say  unto  him,  [and]  thereupon  he  cometh  forth 
to  heaven,  anointed  with  unguents,  and  arrayed  in  the 
finest  apparel  of  those  who  sit  to  give  life  to  Maat. 
His  side  is  to  the  sides  of  the  gods  who  are  in  the  north 
of  heaven.  They  are  imperishable,  he  is  imperishable  ; 
they  are  incorruptible,  he  is  incorruptible  ;  they  cannot 
decay,  he  cannot  decay.  When  the  god  Menthu  riseth, 
he  riseth  with  him  ;  when  Menthu  maketh  a  progress, 
he  maketh  a  progress  with  him. 

243.  Heaven  is  pregnant  with  wine.  Nut  maketh 
herself  to  give  birth  to  her  daughter,  the  Morning  Star. 


3i6     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

Rise  thou  up,  then,  O  Pepi,  thou  third  Septet^  (Sothis), 
whose  seats  are  purified.  He  hath  been  purified  in 
the  Lakes  of  the  Tuat,  he  hath  undressed  in  the  Lakes 
of  the  Jackals.^  O  Bakes^  plant,  remove  thyself  from 
his  path,  for  he  hath  taken  the  Southern  Portion  of 
Sekhet-Aaru,  and  hath  made  a  way  into  the  blooming 
meadow  of  Kha.  Grant  that  Horus  may  be  embraced 
by  the  doors  of  the  sky  [when]  he  saileth  before  Ra 
to  the  horizon.  Grant  that  Heru-Khuti  may  be  embraced 
by  the  doors  of  heaven  [when]  he  saileth  before  Ra  to  the 
horizon.  Grant  that  Heru-Shesti  may  be  embraced  by 
the  doors  of  the  sky  [when]  he  saileth  before  Ra 
to  the  horizon.  Grant  that  Heru-Abti  may  be  embraced 
by  the  doors  of  the  sky  [when]  he  saileth  before  Ra 
to  the  horizon.  Grant  that  this  Pepi,  who  is  Horus 
of  the  gods,  may  be  embraced  by  the  doors  of  the 
sky  [when]  he  saileth  before  Ra  to  the  horizon.  He 
hath  received  his  throne  in  Sekhet-Aaru.  He  hath 
gone  to  the  Southern  Portion  of  Sekhet-Hetep.  He  is 
a  great  god,  the  son  of  a  great  god.  He  appeareth 
between  the  two  thighs  of  the  Two  Companies  of  the 
Gods.  Pepi  giveth  praise  to  Ra.  Pepi  giveth  praise 
to  Heru-Abti.  Pepi  giveth  praise  to  Heru-Khuti.  He 
travelleth  over  the  circuit.  This  Pepi  resteth  and 
Horus  resteth  with  him  on  his  throne  ;  Horus  resteth 
on  his  throne,  and  this  Pepi  joineth  him  thereon. 

255.  Pepi  appeareth  from  Pe  before  the  Souls  of 
Pe,  Pepi  hath  put  on  the  sheth  garment  of  Horus,  and 
hath  arrayed  himself  in  the  apparel  of  Thoth.  Isis  is 
before  him,  Nephthys  is  behind  him.  Ap-uat  openeth 
for  him  a  way.  Shu  beareth  him  up,  and  the  Souls 
of  Anu  draw  him  up  the  steps  to  set  him  before  the 
face  of  Nut,  who  giveth  to  him  her  hand  just  as  they 
did  for  Osiris,  on  that  day  when  he  came  into  port 
[i.e.,  died).  O  Her-f-ha-f,  Pepi  saileth  to  Sekhet-Aaru  ! 
Whether  goest  thou?  He  hath  appeared  in  Auuaurt. 
To  him  is  the    body  which    proceedeth    from  the   god. 


Appendix  317 

the  uraeus  proceeding  from  Ra,  he  himself  saileth,  he 
placeth  himself  in  Sekhet-Aaru,  The  Four  Spirits  who 
are  with  Pepi  are  Hep,  Tuarriutef,  Amset,  and 
Qebhsenuf,  two  on  one  side  and  two  on  the  other. 
Pepi  is  steersman,  and  he  findeth  the  Two  Companies 
of  the  Gods  who  give  their  hands  to  him,  and  he 
taketh  his  seat  among  them  to  decide  cases,  and  he 
issueth  orders  to  those  whom  he  findeth  there. 

265.  This  Pepi  is  Sethta,^  this  Pepi  is  Sethta,  this 
Pepi  is  Susu,^  this  Pepi  is  Sunth,^  who  circleth  about 
heaven.  This  Pepi  is  Arek,  the  spirit  of  the  Kings  of 
the  North.  This  Pepi  is  Amennu,*  the  Amen  of  this 
earth.  Pepi  is  the  Unifier  of  the  Two  Lands. ^  Pepi  is 
the  Revolver,  the  god  who  revolveth.^  Pepi  is  Hest,^ 
Pepi  is  the  Terrible  one.^  Pepi  is  Bat^  of  the  two 
faces.  Pepi  is  Nehemu,^^  he  delivereth  himself  from 
every  evil  thing.  Pepi  is  Unshet.^^  Pepi  is  Unshta.^^ 
Pepi  is  Hep.  Pepi  is  Tuamutef.  Pepi  is  Amset. 
Pepi  is  Qebhsenuf.  Pepi  is  Tuaanuu.^^  Pepi  is  these 
great  gods  who  are  at  the  head  of  the  Lake.  Pepi  is  the 
Living  Soul,  with  the  face  of  Sepa.  He  rescueth  his 
head,  delivereth  his  body,  carrieth  off  his  body.  In 
trouble  he  doeth  what  must  be  done,  lying  in  death  he 
doeth  what  must  be  done,  decreeing  what  must  be 
decreed.  Pepi  doeth  the  deeds  of  beneficence.  Pepi 
decreeth  a  good  decree.     The  two  lips  of  Pepi  are  the 


fl 


t;     A      A 


C\ 


00       t^  1-  Jk 


t\r\/\f\f^ 


^\' 


fc^W- 


VOL.  II. 


3i8     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

Two  Companies  of  the  Gods,  Pepi  is  the  Great  Word.^ 
Pepi  is  Sena.^  Pepi  is  the  unfetterer,  and  he  is  loosed 
from  every  evil  thing.  O  men  and  gods,  let  your  hands 
be  under  Pepi !  Lift  ye  up  Pepi,  and  raise  him  up  to 
heaven  (even  as  the  two  hands  of  Shu,  which  are  under 
the  sky,  bear  it  up),  to  heaven,  to  heaven,  to  the  Great 
Place  among  the  gods  .... 

279.  Pepi  giveth  commands  to  his  father,  the  Moon, 
Pepi  giveth  birth  to  the  Morning  Star,  Pepi  giveth 
commands  to  those  Four  Rejoicing  Ones^  who  sit  on  the 
eastern  side  of  the  sky,  and  to  those  Four  Rejoicing 
Ones  with  shining  hair  who  sit  in  the  shade  of  the 
dwelling  of  the  god  Qata.*  Great  of  father,  great  of 
father,  Pepi  is  great  of  father. 

283.  The  Comer !  The  Comer !  This  Pepi  cometh  ! 
The  Lady  of  Tep  is  agitated,  and  the  heart  of  the 
goddess  dwelling  in  Nekheb  fluttereth  on  that  day 
wherein  Pepi  cometh  in  the  place  of  Ra.  Pepi  hath 
carried  away  for  himself  thy  light  under  his  feet.  Pepi 
cometh  forth  above  it  before  his  mother,  the  living  uraeus 
of  the  head  of  Ra,  and  her  heart  is  grieved  for  him.  She 
giveth  him  her  breast,  he  sucketh  thereat.  Son  of  the 
father,  this  breast  is  presented  to  thee,  thou  suckest 
thereat,  therefore,  behold,  shall  it  happen  that  thy  days 
shall  be  numberless.  The  sky  speaketh,^  the  earth 
quaketh,  and  the  gods  of  Anu  tremble  at  the  voice,  and 
the  offering  is  before  Pepi.  His  mother  Bastet  taketh 
him  and  proclaimeth  him  to  the  goddess  who  dwelleth  in 
Nekhebet,  She  who  dwelleth  in  Tep  layeth  her  hands 
upon  him.  Behold  he  cometh !  Behold  he  cometh ! 
Behold,  this  Pepi  cometh  with  life  and  serenity.  He 
maketh  his  purificatory  substances  with  figs  and  with 
wine  from  the  vineyard  of  the  god  ....  Pepi  passeth 
as  Horus  passeth,  his  sweat  being  the  sweat  of  Horus, 
his  smell  being  the  smell  of  Horus,  to  heaven,  to  heaven, 
with  the  gods  of  the  House  of  the   Lion  and  the  Hawk. 

^  I.e.,  it  thunders. 


Appendix  319 

Pepi  is  in  heaven  with  the  gods  of  the  House  of  the  Lion 
and  the  Hawk,  and  he  is  by  their  side  in  friendly 
converse.  Behold,  Keb  taketh  Pepi  by  the  hand,  and  he 
guideth  him  in  through  the  doors  of  heaven,  like  a  god 
into  his  place  ;  beautiful  is  the  god  in  his  place.  The 
goddess  Sethat  purifieth  him  with  the  four  vessels  of 
purification  which  are  in  Abu  (Elephantine).  Hail, 
where  g^oest  thou  then,  O  son  of  the  father  ?  He 
cometh  to  the  gods  of  heaven,  and  behold,  he  maketh 
Peq  to  be  at  peace.  Hail,  where  comest  thou  then,  O 
son  of  the  father?  He  goeth  to  the  gods  of  earth,  and 
behold,  he  maketh  Peq  to  be  at  peace.  Hail,  where 
comest  thou  then,  O  son  of  the  father  ?  He  cometh  to 
Tchenttchenter.^  Hail,  where  comest  though  then,  O 
son  of  the  father  .f*  He  cometh  to  his  two  mothers,  these 
two  vultures,  with  the  long  hair  (or  feathers)  and  the 
hanging  breasts,  which  are  on  the  Mountain  of  Sehseh  (?), 
and  they  put  their  nipples  into  the  mouth  of  Pepi  straight- 
way, and  they  are  with  him  for  ever ! 

304.  The  sky  speaketh,  the  earth  quaketh.  Keb 
tottereth,  the  nomes  of  the  god  roar,  the  earth  is  ploughed 
up,  the  offering  is  taken  before  this  Pepi,  the  living  one, 
the  stable  one.  Therefore  he  cometh  forth  to  heaven,  he 
saileth  over  the  firmament  with  life  and  serenity,  he 
passeth  over  the  Milky  Way(?),^  overthrowing  the  walls 
of  Shu.  Now  he  appeareth  in  heaven  on  his  wings  like 
a  great  gander  which  hath  escaped  from  his  toils  .... 
Now  he  appeareth  in  heaven  among  the  imperishable 
stars.  His  sister  the  star  Septet  (Sothis),  his  guide  the 
Morning  Star,  take  him  by  the  hand  to  Sekhet-Hetep. 
He  taketh  his  seat  there  on  the  crystal  (?)  throne,  which 
hath  faces  of  fierce  lions  and  feet  in  the  form  of  the  hoofs 
of  the  Bull  Sma-ur.  He  standeth  up  in  his  place  which 
is  between  the  Two  Great  Gods,  with  his  dda  sceptre  and 
his  menA  staff  in  his  hands.  He  lifteth  up  his  hand  to 
the  Henmemet  spirits,  and  the  gods  come  to  him  with 
bowings.  The  Two  Great  Gods  watch  in  their  places, 
and  they  find  him  among  the  gods  deciding  cases.  The 
word  of  every  noble  is  to  him,  and  they  make  offerings  to 
Pepi  among  the  Two  Companies  of  the  Gods. 


zn 


Y    2 


320     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

315.  Behold,  it  is  not  Pepi  who  maketh  entreaty  to 
see  thee  in  thy  form  in  which  thou  art,  O  Osiris,  who 
maketh  entreaty  to  see  thee  in  thy  form  in  which  thou 
art,  it  is  thy  Son  who  maketh  entreaty  to  see  thee  in 
thy  form  in  which  thou  art,  it  is  Horus  who  maketh 
entreaty  to  see  thee  in  thy  form  in  which  thou  art. 
Thus  say  the  beings  who  are  inert  (?)  and  are  Hke  the 
Great  Males  under  Akhemut  (?)^  to  thee,  thus  say  they 
to  thee :  "  Come,  beloved  son,  in  the  form  of  the 
Sa-mer-f,"  and  they  ferry  Horus,  they  ferry  Horus  at  the 
appearance  of  Horus  among  the  Meht-urt  goddesses. 
Open,  O  ye  doors  of  heaven,  be  thrown  open,  O  ye 
doors  of  the  sky,  to  Horus  of  the  East,  who  at  dawn 
descendeth  and  purifieth  himself  in  Sekhet-Aaru.^ 
Open,  O  ye  doors  of  heaven,  be  thrown  open,  O  ye  doors 
of  the  sky,  to  Pepi,  who  at  dawn  descendeth  and  purifieth 
himself  in  Sekhet-Aaru. 

331.  This  Pepi  hath  ploughed  the  earth,  he  hath 
presented  the  offering.  He  riseth  on  the  throne  like  a 
king,  and  occupieth  it  with  honour.  He  saileth  over  the 
Lake  of  Peterta,  and  he  traverseth  the  Lake  of  Kha. 
Neskestet^  stretcheth  out  the  hand  to  Pepi  from  her 
shrine,  from  her  secret  place,  and  she  maketh  him  a  god. 
Behold,  Pepi  is  a  pure  being,  the  son  of  a  pure  being, 
and  he  is  purified  by  [the  contents  of]  the  Four  Nemast 
vases,  which  are  emptied  (?)  [over  him]  in  the  Lake  of 
Nether  in  the  city  of  Nethru,^  under  the  wind  of  Isis  the 
Great  Lady,  and  behold  the  Great  Lady  made  Horus 
dry,  and  caused  him  to  come  with  flesh  purified.  Is 
Ra  more  pure  than  Pepi  [or]  the  doorkeeper  of  Qebhu 
(the  sky)  ?  He  taketh  Pepi  along  to  those  Four  Gods 
who  are  on  the  Lake  of  Kensta,  and  they  give  gifts  to 
Osiris  Pepi,  and  they  give  gifts  to  Ra.  No  boundaries 
are  fixed  for  him,  and  [he]  findeth  no  limits  [set  for  him]. 
Behold,  one  arm  of  Keb  is  to  heaven,  and  his  [other]  is 
to  the  earth,  and  he  taketh  Pepi   along   to    Ra.      Pepi 


formula  is  repf 


2  This  formula  is  repeated  for  Horus  of  the  Tuat  and  Horus  of 
Shesta. 


s 


Appendix  321 

directeth  the  gods,  he  is  master  of  the  Boat  of  God. 
he  conquereth  heaven  and  its  pillars  and  its  stars. ^ 
The  gods  come  to  him  with  bowings,  the  Spirits 
follow  Pepi  because  of  his  soul,  they  reckon  up  their 
war-clubs,  they  brandish  their  spears  and  wave  their 
swords,  for  behold  Pepi  is  a  Great  One,  the  Son  of  a 
Great  One,  and  is  born  of  Nut.  The  might  of  Pepi 
is  the  might  of  Set  of  Nubt  (Ombos).  Pepi  is  the 
Bull-god  Sma-ur,  coming  forth  from  Khenti-Amenti. 
Pepi  is  the  efflux  of  the  celestial  water,  and  he  appeared 
when  Nu  (?)  came  into  being.  Pepi  is  the  serpent 
Nehebkau,  of  manifold  windings.  Pepi  is  the  Scribe 
of  the  Book  of  God,^  who  spake  and  what  is  came 
into  being,  and  maketh  to  exist  that  which  did  not  exist. 
Pepi  is  the  band  of  the  written  rolls  which  came  forth 
from  the  Great  Trial.  This  Pepi  is  the  Eye  of  Horus, 
which  is  stronger  than  men  and  mightier  than  the  gods. 
Horus  raiseth  him,  Set  lifteth  him  up.  Pepi  maketh 
offerings  of  bread  and  beer  and  the  libation  offering 
at  the  door,  he  pacifieth  the  Two  Gods  who  are  to  be 
pacified,  he  pacifieth  the  Two  Gods  who  consume  (?). 

349.  Keb  ....  and  Nut  ....  on  the  hands  of 
Pepi,  and  he  cometh  forth  to  heaven.  Heaven  saluteth 
him  joyfully,  the  earth  trembleth  before  him,  for  he  hath 
broken  the  power  of  the  raging  rainstorm,  and  he  hath 
roared  like  Set.  The  keepers  of  the  body  of  heaven 
and  of  the  doors  of  heaven  have  opened  unto  him,  he 
standeth  up  on  Shu,  and  the  stars  supply  him  with  an 
abode  in  the  shade  of  the  walls  of  the  god.  He 
strideth  over  the  sky  like  the  god  Sunth,  he  is  the 
third  of  the  star  Sept  (Sothis),  whose  seats  are  pure. 
He  is  purified  in  the  Lakes  of  the  Tuat.  The  goddess 
Nemf^  maketh  good  roads  for  him,  and  she  guideth 
him  to  the  Great  Place,  which  the  gods  made,  and 
Horus  made,  and  Thoth  stablished  (?).  Isis  receiveth 
him,  Nephthys  stablisheth  him,  and  he  taketh  his  seat 
on  the  Great  Throne  which  the  gods  have  made. 
The  morning  stars*  come   to    him    with    rejoicing,    and 


m 


322     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

the  gods  with  gladness,  and  the  gods  of  the  horizon^ 
having  fallen  on  their  faces,  and  the  imperishable  stars 
with  homage.  He  taketh  in  hand  the  Sceptre,  he 
directeth  the  mouth  of  the  gods,  he  beareth  up  the 
sky  on  his  shoulders  with  life,  he  supporteth  the  earth 
with  gladness,  his  right  arm  beareth  up  the  sky  with 
power,  his  left  arm  supporteth  the  earth  with  gladness. 
He  findeth  Shetth,  he  addresseth  the  doorkeeper  of 
Osiris,  and  an  abomination  to  him  it  is  to  travel  without 
....  He  receiveth  the  breezes  of  life,  he  inhaleth  joy 
of  heart,  the  offerings  of  the  god  are  laid  before  him  in 
abundance,  he  snuffeth  the  air,  he  hath  the  air  of  the 
north  wind  in  abundance,  and  he  is  happy  among  the 
gods.  He  is  better  equipped  than  Sept-ur,  and  he  is 
advanced  more  than  Khent-Atert.  He  striketh  with  his 
Sceptre,  he  ruleth  with  his  Aaat  staff ;  he  setteth  his 
remembrance  before  men,  and  his  love  before  the  gods. 
Speak  the  thing  which  is  ;  speak  not  that  which  is  not ; 
an  abomination  unto  God  is  the  shifty  word.  This  Pepi 
is  thy  son,  this  Pepi  is  thy  flesh  and  blood. 

369.  I  have  made  a  heart  for  father  Pepi,  another 
hath  prepared  for  him  his  .  .  }  Now  when  he  cometh 
forth  into  heaven,  and  when  he  journeyeth  through  the 
pools  of  the  Lake  of  Kha,  Anubis  cometh  and  meeteth 
thee,  O  Pepi,  Keb  giveth  to  thee  his  hand,  O  father 
Pepi ;  the  guardian  of  the  earth,  the  director  of  the 
Spirits  weepeth  tears,  O  father  Pepi,  Hail,  rise  up, 
father  Pepi !  Thou  hast  received  thy  Four  Nemast 
Vases,  and  the  vases  of  offerings ;  thou  hast  been 
purified  in  the  Lake  of  the  Jackal,  thou  hast  been  censed 
in  the  Lake  of  Tat.  Thou  hast  been  made  pure  by  thy 
Shabt  flower^  in  Sekhet-Aaru.  Thou  sailest  over  the 
heavens,  thou  stoppest  in  Sekhet-hetep  among  the  gods 
who  pass  to  their  Doubles.  Thou  sittest  on  thy  throne 
of  alabaster,  thou  takest  in  thine  hand  thy  club  and  thy 
Ames  staff,  thou  art  the  leader  of  the  dwellers  in  Nu, 


J-^ 


Appendix  323 

thou  announcest  decrees  to  the  gods,  thou  placest  a  Spirit  in 
his  Spirit,  thou  takest  thy  course  and  thou  sailest  over 
thy  lake  as  doth  Ra  over  the  domains  of  heaven.  Pepi, 
thou  art  raised  up,  pass  thou  into  thy  Spirit. 

377.  Then  Pepi  cometh  forth  into  heaven  among  the 
o-ods  who  are  in  heaven.  He  standeth  then  at  the  Great 
Uart,  he  heareth  the  words  of  the  Henmemet  beings. 
Ra  is  found  in  the  domains  of  heaven  by  the  double 
lake  in  Nut,  whither  the  gods  have  journeyed  and 
arrived.  He  {i.e.,  Ra)  giveth  thee  his  hand  in  the  Lake 
Asken  of  the  sky  ;  the  gods  come  to  his  throne.  Pure 
is  the  coffer  of  thy  throne  in  the  Boat  of  Ra,  thou 
sailest  over  the  upper  regions,  thou  approachest  the 
roads,  thou  sailest  with  the  imperishable  stars,  thou 
steerest  thy  way  with  the  stars  that  never  rest.  Thou 
receivest  thy  tribute  in  the  Semketet  Boat,  thou  becomest 
a  Spirit  of  the  Tuat.  Thou  livest  sweet  life,  all  the  life 
of  the  horizon  is  in  thee. 

390.  The  two  spurs  of  Horus  and  the  two  wings  of 
Thoth  make  Pepi  to  sail  without  shipwreck.  Give  thou 
bread  to  this  Pepi,  give  thou  beer  to  this  Pepi,  of  thy 
bread  of  eternity  and  of  thy  beer  of  everlastingness. 
Pepi  is  the  keeper  of  the  Two  Obelisks  which  are  on 
earth  ;  Pepi  is  the  guardian  of  the  Two  Pillars  which 
are  in  heaven.  Pepi  goeth  to  embrace  the  two  doors 
which  are  in  heaven  before  Ra,  His  flesh  is  under  the 
libation  (?)  of  the  Firmament  of  Ra.  The  Land  of  the 
South  is  made  pure  before  Ra,  and  he  appeareth  in  his 
horizon.  This  Pepi  is  in  the  Field  of  Life,  in  the  Birth- 
chamber  of  Ra  in  the  Firmament.  The  goddest  Qebhut,^ 
the  daughter  of  Anpu,  findeth  this  Pepi,  and  she  goeth 
to  meet  him  with  the  Four  Nemset  Vases.  She 
refreshed  the  breast  of  the  Great  God  on  the  day  of  his 
watch,  and  she  refresheth  the  breast  of  this  Pepi  with 
life.  She  washeth  this  Pepi,  she  censeth  this  Pepi. 
This  Pepi  receiveth  his  place  of  offerings  in  the  Granary 
of  the  Great  God.  This  Pepi  arrayeth  himself  with  the 
imperishable  stars,  the  place  of  Pepi  is  more  advanced 
than  that  of  Khent- Atert,  and  he  taketh  his  seat  with  those 
who  have  been  equipped  with  their  characteristics  (?). 


■-JW-^ln 


324     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

396.  Hail,  Nuru,  thou  Ferry-god^  of  Sekhet-Pat^ ! 
Pepi  is  thy  herdsman,  the  chief  of  thy  breeding  ground  (?). 
Pepi  is  thy  fashioner  on  earth,  the  offspring  of  Tern  to 
whom  Nut  gave  birth.  He  cometh,  he  bringeth  to  thee 
this  thy  house,  he  builded  it  for  thee  on  the  night 
wherein  thou  wast  brought  forth,  on  the  day  of  thy 
birth  (?).  This  vessel  .  .  .  unknown  is  thy  father,  un- 
known is  thy  mother  .  .  .  Make  thou  him  to  sail  with 
speed  to  the  Earth,  and  arrive  at  the  Field  made  by  the 
gods,  the  Field  wherein  they  enjoy  abundance  on  the 
New  Year's  Days. 

400.  Hail,  Ferryman,  thou  Boatman  of  Maat,  who 
dost  transport  [souls]  to  Sekhet-Aaru,  this  Pepi  is  true 
before  heaven  and  before  earth.  This  Pepi  is  true 
before  the  Island  of  the  earth.  Pepi  swam  and  arrived 
at  that  which  was  between  the  thighs  of  Nut.  Pepi  is 
the  pygmy,  the  dancer  [before]  the  god,  who  rejoiceth 
the  heart  of  the  god,  when  he  danceth  before  his  Great 
Throne.  This  is  what  shall  be  heard  of  thee  in  the 
houses,  and  what  shall  be  heard  of  thee  on  the  roads. 
This  is  the  day  whereon  this  Pepi  shall  be  proclaimed 
for  life,  and  to  hear  the  utterance  of  commands.  Behold, 
the  chiefs  of  the  throne  of  the  Great  God  shall  proclaim 
this  Pepi  for  life  and  serenity  for  ever.  He  is  Strength 
and  he  is  Health.  This  Pepi  saileth  to  the  Field,  to 
the  beautiful  place  of  the  Great  God,  and  he  shall  do 
what  hath  to  be  done  therein  among  the  servants.  He 
shall  assign  to  them  food,  and  tell  out  for  them  birds. 
Pepi  is  Horus,  who  assigneth  food  to  Pepi,  and  telleth 
out  to  him  birds. 

405.  Hail,  Ferryman  of  Sekhet-hetep !  Bring  this 
to  this  Pepi  ;  it  is  Pepi  who  passeth,  it  is  Pepi  who 
cometh,  the  son  of  the  Mantchet  Boat,  which  brought 
forth  Kheft-Ta  ;  Antchet  brought  him  forth.  Ankhet- 
taui  is  there,  on  the  right  side  of  Osiris.  Pepi  is  the 
green-laden  envoy  of  the  year,  O  Osiris.  Behold,  he 
cometh  with  the  message  of  thy  father  Keb  with  the 
offerings  of  the  year,  the  offerings  of  the  year.      Beautiful 

11 


Appendix  325 

is  that  which  belongeth  to  the  year,  beautiful  things 
belong  to  the  year.  Pepi  descended  with  the  Two 
Companies  of  the  Gods  into  Qebhu,  Pepi  was  the 
moulder  of  the  Two  Companies  of  the  Gods,  and  he 
laid  the  foundation  of  Sekhet-hetep.  This  Pepi 
findeth  the  gods  standing  up,  arrayed  in  their  apparel, 
with  white  sandals  on  their  feet.  But  they  hurl  their 
white  sandals  down  on  the  earth,  and  they  strip  off  their 
apparel,  for  their  hearts  are  not  happy  because  of  thy 
coming  to  them.  Ye  speak,  ye  remain.  '*  Sekhem-utcha  " 
is  the  name  of  this  weapon,  the  ...  of  Sekhet-hetep. 
Stand  up  now,  Osiris,  and  decree  this  Pepi  to  the  chiefs 
of  "  Sekhem-utcha,"  the  ....  of  Sekhet-hetep,  as  thou 
didst  decree  Horus  to  Isis  on  the  day  when  thou  didst 
beget  him  in  her,  so  that  they  may  give  him  food  to 
eat  in  the  fields,  and  water  to  drink  from  the  wells  in 
Sekhet-hetep. 

411.  Hail,  Her-f-ha-f,  thou  doorkeeper  of  Osiris! 
Osiris  saith  :  Make  thou  to  come  to  this  Pepi  thy  boat 
wherein  thou  makest  to  sail  thy  purified  [souls].^  And 
when  thou  hast  received  thy  cool  water  at  that  Uart  of 
the  imperishable  stars,  make  him  to  make  his  journey 
therein,  by  means  of  the  rope  of  green  and  red  which 
towed  along  the  Eye  of  Horus.  Now  the  finger  of 
Osiris  there  passeth  along,  in  pain  (?).  This  Pepi 
journeyeth  along  with  great  speed  (?),  guarding  himself 
in  the  Great  Lake.  Be  opened,  O  doors  of  Peter,  be 
opened  wide  the  doors  of  the  Lower  Aat !  O  ye  Two 
Companies  of  the  Gods,  make  ye  this  Pepi  to  travel 
with  you  to  the  Sekhet-hetep,  and  make  him  to  become 
a  lord  of  fealty.  This  Pepi  smiteth  with  his  Aba 
sceptre,  he  ruleth  with  the  Aaata  staff.  He  guideth  the 
revolutions  of  Ra,  the  watering  of  the  earth,  the  dew  of 
Keb,  and  the  ...  of  the  Two  Companies  of  the  Gods. 
Pepi  is  the  Divine  Soul  who  maketh  his  way  among  you, 
O  ye  gods,  who  forceth  a  way  through  Pat  Lake,  who 
filleth  Pat  Lake  with  water,  who  maketh  Sekhet-Aaru 
to  blossom,  and  filleth  Sekhet-hetep  with  water.  Behold, 
as   those   Four   Tchanu,^    who   stand   on  the    East  side 


326     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

of  heaven,  travelled  on  and  transported  Ra  in  their 
boat  through  the  two  defiles  (?)  so  that  he  might  journey 
to  his  horizon,  so  shall  they  transport  this  Pepi  through 
the  defiles  (?)  so  that  he  may  journey  to  the  horizon  with 
Ra,  and  give  thanks  to  Horus  of  the  Tuat,  the  Divine 
Hawk,  yellowish-green  in  colour,  who  produced  the 
heavens. 

420.  Homage  to  thee  with  thy  Four  Faces  which 
are  at  rest  and  gaze  at  what  is  in  the  Land  of  Kenset, 
and  change  the  storms  into  calms  (?).  Give  thou  to  this 
Pepi  thy  two  fingers  which  thou  didst  give  to  Nefert,  the 
daughter  of  the  Great  God,  when  she  was  the  messenger 
from  heaven  to  earth,  when  the  gods  made  their  appear- 
ance in  heaven.  O  Soul-god,  who  risest  at  the  head  of 
thy  Boat  of  seven  hundred  and  seventy  cubits,  thou  hast 
transported  the  gods  of  Pu,  thou  hast  completed  the 
gods  of  the  East,  and  thou  hast  made  this  Pepi  to  travel 
with  thee  in  the  cabin  of  thy  boat.^  This  Pepi  is  the 
son  of  Kheprer  (the  Beetle-god),^  who  was  born  in 
Hetepet-hemt  (?),  under  the  hair  of  lusaas,^  to  the  north 
of  Anu,  and  came  forth  from  the  brow  of  Keb.  This 
Pepi  is  he  who  was  between  the  thighs  of  Khent-Merti, 
on  the  night  of  the  grinding  (?)  of  the  weapon  (?),  and 
on  the  day  of  sharpening  (?)  the  tips  of  the  weapons. 
Thou  hast  received  thy  spear  (or,  harpoon)*  and  thy 
fighting  weapon  wherewith  thou  layest  waste  the  lands 
— now  its  hooks  (or,  barbs)  are  the  fiery  darts  of  Ra, 
and  its  two  staves  are  the  claws  of  the  Lynx-goddess^ 
(or.  Leopard-goddess).  Pepi  smasheth  in  the  heads  of 
the  enemies  of  Horus  who  are  in  Sekhet-hetep.  Pepi 
descendeth  {i.e.,  embarketh)  on  the  Great  Green,^  and, 
O  Great  Green,  thou  hast  bowed  thy  head  and  bent  thy 
knees  [before  him].  And  these  Children  of  Nut  have 
embarked  on  thee;  and  they  have  put  their  crowns  on 
their  heads,  and  chains  of  db  flowers  round  their  necks. 

"  The  Mediterranean  Sea. 


Appendix  327 

And  they  decorate  themselves  with  Crowns  of  the 
North  [made  of  flowers]  of  the  Lakes  of  Sekhet-hetep 
for  I  sis,  the  Great  Lady,  bearer  of  the  diadem  (?)  in 
Akh-khebit.  And  behold,  she  bringeth  them  and 
placeth  them  before  her  son  Horus  the  Child,  the  Babe. 
He  journeyeth  over  the  earth  in  his  white  sandals,  and 
he  goeth  to  see  his  father  Osiris.  This  Pepi  openeth 
his  way  among  the  feathered  fowl  (?),  he  goeth  along 
with  the  Lords  of  Doubles,  he  travelleth  to  the  Great 
Lake  in  Sekhet-hetep,  by  which  the  Great  Gods  alight, 
and  these  great  ones  of  the  imperishable  stars  give  unto 
Pepi  the  tree  of  life  whereon  they  themselves  do  live,  so 
that  he  also  may  live  thereon.  Make  thou  this  Pepi  to 
journey  with  thee  into  thy  Great  Field  which  hath  been 
put  under  thy  authority  by  the  gods,  wherein  thou 
eatest  from  night  to  dawn,  being  in  possession  of  the 
god  Hu,  and  let  this  Pepi  eat  of  what  thou  eatest  there, 
and  let  this  Pepi  drink  of  what  thou  drinkest  there.  Grant 
thou  that  this  Pepi  may  be  satisfied  there  .  .  .  Grant 
thou  that  this  Pepi  may  sit  in  his  truth  (?),  and  that  he 
may  stand  up  in  his  loyal  service.  Let  this  Pepi  stand 
up  and  take  possession  of  his  service  before  thee,  even 
as  Horus  took  possession  of  his  father's  house  from  Set, 
his  fathers  brother,  before  Keb.  Proclaim  thou  in 
truth  that  this  Pepi  is  a  Chief  among  the  Spirits,  the 
imperishable  ones  of  heaven,  who  are  Governors  of 
offerings  and  Guardians  of  oblations,  and  who  make  to 
descend  those  who  are  at  the  head  of  their  Doubles  in 
heaven. 

436.  Hail,  ye  Four  Gods  who  are  in  front  of  the 
flowing  hair  of  Horus,  whose  hair  is  in  front  of  you, 
whose  hair  is  above  your  temples,  whose  hair  is  in  your 
caps  on  the  middle  of  your  heads  !  Hail,  ye  Smiters, 
bring  ye  the  Mekhent  Boat  to  this  Pepi,  bring  ye  the 
Antu  (?)  Boat  to  this  Pepi.  Behold,  Heqrer,^  they 
transport  this  Pepi  with  Maa-ha-f  and  he  ferrieth  him 
to  that  region  of  the  imperishable  stars  so  that  he  may 
be  among  them.  Whensoever  he  giveth  the  order,  take 
ye  over  the  Mekhent  Boat  to  this  Pepi,  so  that  this  Pepi 
may  declare  your  names  to  the  men  whom  he  knoweth. 


328     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

and  to  mortals,  and  so  that  he  may  pluck  out  these  Smiters 
which  are  in  (?)  your  heads  like  lilies  from  the  pools. 

440.  O  Lake  of  gifts  !  O  Lake  of  gifts  !  Behold, 
this  Ser  goose  is  brought,  behold,  this  Set  goose  is 
brought,  behold,  this  Nek  Bull  is  brought.  This  Pepi 
darteth  like  the  Ahau  bird,  and  he  rusheth  on  his  prey 
like  the  Bennu  (?)  bird.  Pepi  journeyeth  on  with  his 
fathers  who  are  in  the  Lake  of  Petchu.  The  bread 
which  cannot  go  mouldy  is  brought  to  Pepi,  and  his 
wine  which  cannot  go  sour.  This  Pepi  eateth  his  bread 
alone  by  himself,  this  Pepi  doth  not  cast  it  behind  his 
back,  and  he  is  delivered  from  the  Kemmit  bird. 

Hail,  Maa-ha-f!  Hail,  Her-f-ha-f!  Behold,  this 
Pepi  cometh  as  a  living  being  !  He  bringeth  to  thee 
the  Eye  of  Horus,  the  fettered  (?)  one  which  is  in 
Sekhet-Khennu,  and  it  is  in  the  Eye-of-Khnem  Boat 
that  Pepi  hath  brought  it.  Hail,  Hep,  Amset,  Tua-mut-f, 
and  Qebhsenuf.  Pepi  bringeth  this  Eye-of-Khnemu 
Boat,  which  is  in  the  Lake  of  Kha  (or,  Lake  of  Hetem). 
Hail,  thou  god  Am,^  open  thou  a  way  for  Pepi.  Hail, 
thou  god  Oerera,  open  thou  a  way  for  this  Pepi.  Hail, 
thou  goddess  Nekhebet,  open  thou  a  way  for  Pepi. 
Homage  to  thee,  O  goddess  Nefert,  in  peace  !  Love  ye 
this  Pepi.  Love  ye  this  Pepi.  Do  ye  no  harm  to  him. 
Carry  him  not  away.     Carry  not  ye  him  away. 

447.  The  splendour  of  Pepi  maketh  strong  the 
heavens  when  this  Pepi  maketh  to  take  flight  to  heaven 
the  Eye  of  Ra.  Stand  thou  up,  O  this  Pepi,  by  that  left 
Eye  of  Horus  whereby  thou  shalt  hear  the  words  of  the 
gods.  Stand  thou  up,  O  Pepi,  at  the  head  of  the  Spirits, 
even  as  Horus  standeth  up  at  the  head  of  the  Living. 
Stand  thou  up,  O  Pepi,  at  the  head  of  the  imperishable 
Spirits,  as  Osiris  standeth  up  at  the  head  of  the  Spirits. 

449.  Pepi  hath  been  made  pure  with  the  purifications 
which  Horus  performed  for  his  Eye ;  Pepi  is  Thoth, 
your  avenger,  and  not  Set  who  stole  it  {i.e.,  the  Eye). 
The  gods  make  supplication,  and  the  Two  Companies  of 
the  Gods  rejoice  when  they  meet  this  Pepi.  Pepi  raiseth 
up    the  White    Crown    wherein    the    Eye    of  Horus    is 


Appendix  329 

mighty  ;  the  gods  rejoice  in  his  appearance.  The  face 
of  Pepi  is  the  face  of  a  jackal.  The  arms  of  Pepi  are 
the  arms  of  a  hawk.  The  tips  of  the  wings  of  Pepi  are 
those  of  Thoth.  Keb  maketh  this  Pepi  to  fly  to  heaven. 
Pepi  draweth  the  Eye  of  Horus  to  him.  Pepi  judgeth 
the  dead  (?).  A  wall  to  Pepi  are  the  tablets  which  are 
between  the  legs  and  under  the  hands  of  Osiris.  Pepi 
obstructeth  the  ways  of  Set,  and  continueth  on  his  way 
with  the  messengers  of  Osiris.  No  god  can  lay  a  hand 
on  Pepi,  and  no  mariner  can  foul  the  way  of  this  Pepi. 
Pepi  is  Thoth,  the  strength  of  the  gods.  Tem  calleth 
this  Pepi  to  heaven  to  life.  Pepi  draweth  the  Eye  of 
Horus  to  him.  Pepi  is  the  son  of  Khnemu.  No  evil 
thing  hath  Pepi  wrought.  These  words  reach  to  thy 
face,  O  Ra,  the  Bull  of  the  Company  of  the  Nine 
hearkeneth  to  them.  Open  thou  the  way  of  this  Pepi, 
make  thou  spacious  the  seat  of  this  Pepi  at  the 
head  of  the  gods.  Pepi  draweth  the  Eye  of  Horus  to 
him,  he  exalteth  it,  and  it  appeareth  on  his  head.  Grant 
to  Pepi  that  he  may  see  with  his  two  eyes  completely, 
and  to  destroy  his  enemies  therewith.  Horus  hath  taken 
his  Eye,  he  hath  given  it  to  this  Pepi.  His  odour  is  the 
odour  of  the  god,  the  odour  of  the  Eye  of  Horus 
appertaineth  to  the  flesh  of  this  Pepi,  Pepi  advanceth 
with  it.  This  Pepi  sitteth  on  the  Great  Throne  of  the 
gods,  he  supporteth  himself  on  Tem,  between  the  Two 
Powers  (?).  O  Pepi,  ....  the  gods,  in  the  embraces 
of  the  Eye  of  Horus.  It  seeketh  this  Pepi  in  Pe,  it 
findeth  [him]  in  Anu,  it  draweth  him  on  to  the  head  of 
Set  in  that  place  wherein  they  fought.  Horus,  give  thy 
hand  to  this  Pepi.  Horus,  thine  Eye  hath  been  pre- 
sented to  thee,  it  cometh  forth  to  thee,  it  cometh  forth  to 
thee.  This  Pepi  cometh  to  thee  a  living  being.  The  Eye 
of  Horus  cometh  to  thee  with  this  Pepi,  on  Pepi  for  ever. 
461.  Thou  hast  purified  Ra,  thou  hast  decorated 
Horus,  ....  on  the  hands  of  the  god  Un,^  the  son  of 
the  god,  the  messenger  of  the  god.  This  Pepi 
journeyeth  in  the  Lake  of  Kenset.  This  Pepi  is 
purified  in  Sekhet-Aaru,  the  Shesu-Heru  (Body-guard 
of  Horus)  have  purified  him.     They  recite  for  this  Pepi 


330     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

the  "  Chapter  of  those  who  come  forth,"  they  recite  for 
this  Pepi  the  "  Chapter  of  those  who  travel."  This  Pepi 
embarketh  in  thy  Boat,  O  Ra,  the  gods  are  the  sailors, 
this  Pepi  saileth  on  and  they  rejoice  to  meet  him  even 
as  they  rejoice  at  meeting  Ra,  when  he  cometh  forth  from 
the  East,  mounting  up,  mounting  up.  This  Pepi  hath 
bathed  in  the  Lake  of  Reeds  wherein  Ra  bathed,  Horus 
hath  dried  (?)  him  ;  the  back  of  this  Pepi  is  the  back  of 
Thoth,  the  legs  of  Pepi  are  the  legs  of  Shu,  Shu 
draweth  him  to  heaven,  [O  gods],  give  ye  your  hand  to 
this  Pepi. 

465.  The  god  Temu  once  in  Heliopolis  took  the 
form  of  a  man  who  masturbated.^  He  thrust  his  phallus 
into  his  hand  and  worked  it  about  in  it,  and  two  children, 
a  brother  and  a  sister,  were  produced,^  Shu  and  Tefnut. 
May  they  place  this  Pepi  between  them,  may  they  place 
this  Pepi  among  the  gods  at  the  head  of  Sekhet-hetep. 
Recite  four  thnes.  This  Pepi  cometh  forth  to  heaven, 
this  Pepi  descendeth  to  earth,  living  for  ever.  Hail, 
Sunth,  who  dost  traverse  the  heavens  nine  times  during 
the  night,  stretch  out  a  hand  to  this  Pepi — of  life,  and 
ferry  thou  him  to  this  Lake.  This  Pepi  embarketh  in 
the  Boat  of  the  God,  and  the  company  of  the  gods  in  it 
act  as  the  sailors  thereof,  and  this  Pepi  also  becometh 
a  sailor  in  it.  Thou  recitest  the  "  Chapter  of  Betu 
incense,"  thou  recitest  the  "Chapter  of  Natron  incense." 
The  Natron  standeth  up  at  the  head  of  the  Great 
Company  of  the  Gods.  The  Betu  sitteth  down  at  the 
head  of  the  great  Atert.  Hail,  thou  Doorkeeper  of 
heaven !  Act  thou  thus  in  respect  of  the  Messenger  of 
the  God  when  he  cometh  forth.  If  he  cometh  forth  by 
the  West  Gate  of  heaven,  bring  to  him  the  South  Gate 
of  heaven  ;  if  he  cometh  forth  by  the  East  Gate  of  heaven, 
bring  to  him  the  North  Gate  of  heaven. 

471.  Homage  to  thee,  O  Ladder,  which  beareth  up 
the  abode  of  the  souls  of  Pe  and  the  souls  of  Nekhen, 
give  thou  thy  hands  to  this  Pepi,  and  let  Pepi  sit 
between  the  Two  Great  Gods.  Advance  the  seats  of 
this  Pepi,  take  [him  by]  the  hand  to  Sekhet-hetep,  and 
let   him    sit   amono-   the    stars    in    heaven.       The    Two 


W 


'  ^\:^s^(^-  'fD 


Appendix  331 

Tchert  birds  {i.e.,  I  sis  and  Nephthys)  on  the  wings  of 
Thoth  swoop  down  and  alight,  and  they  bring  this  Pepi 
and  set  him  upon  his  place.  This  Pepi  of  Hfe  is  a 
messenger  (?)  of  Horus.  .  .  .  The  Tet  setteth  free  the 
Mantchet  Boat  for  its  Lord,  the  Tet  setteth  free  the 
Mantchet  Boat  for  its  chief  Isis  cometh,  Nephthys 
cometh,  one  on  the  right,  one  on  the  left,  one  of  them  as 
a  Hat  bird — -Nephthys  cometh — one  of  them  as  a  Tchert 
bird.  They  find  Osiris,  his  brother  Set  hath  cast  him 
down  to  the  ground  in  Netat.^  .  .  .  They  remove  thy 
foulness — now  thy  name  is  Anpu.  They  remove  the 
efflux  of  thy  filth  to  the  earth — now  thy  name  is  "  Jackal 
of  the  South,"  They  remove  the  evil  odour  of  thy 
body — now  thy  name  is  "  Heru-shati."  They  remove 
the  filth  of  Heru-abti.  They  remove  the  filth  of  Heru- 
neb-pat.  They  remove  the  filth  of  Heru-Tatti.  They 
remove  the  filth  of  Heru-neb-taui.  .  .  .  Watch,  O  Horus, 
stand  up  upon  Set.  Thou  art  raised  up,  O  Osiris  Pepi, 
the  firstborn  son  of  Keb.  The  Two  Companies  of  the 
Gods  tremble  [before]  him.  .  .  .  Advance  thou  to  the 
Lake,  sail  thou  to  the  Great  Green  Sea.  Behold,  thou 
art  he  who  standeth  up,  he  who  never  resteth,  dweller 
in  Abydos.  Thou  art  endowed  as  a  spirit  in  the 
horizon,  thou  art  made  stable  in  Tchetet.  The  Souls  of 
An  take  thy  hand,  Ra  taketh  thy  hand,  the  Two  Com- 
panies of  the  Gods  raise  up  thy  head,  and  they  make 
thee,  O  Osiris  Pepi,  to  be  at  the  head  of  the  Aterti  of 
the  Souls  of  An.  Live  thou,  live  thou,  thou  art  raised 
up  ...  O  thou  Pepi,  [thy]  marking  cometh  forth  from 
Ra,  thy  sweat  cometh  forth  from  Isis.  .  .  . 

531.  Lo  Isis  and  Nephthys!  The  Hat  bird  cometh, 
the  Tche7't  bird  cometh,  Isis  and  Nephthys.  They  come 
with  embraces  for  their  brother  Osiris,  with  embraces  for 
their  brother,  this  Pepi.  Thou  hast  being  (?)  Thou  hast 
being  (?).  Thy  sister  Isis  weepeth  for  thee.  Thy  sister 
Nephthys  weepeth  for  thee.  Isis,  sitting  down  with  her 
hands  upon  her  head,  and  Nephthys  give  the  nipple  of 
their  breasts  to  their  brother  Pepi.  Anpu  is  on  his 
belly.     Osiris  is  on  his  seat  (?)     Ap-uat  is  at  the  head  of 

1  f^^^>^^  ft    ^1^ 


332     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

his  fist  (?)  Thy  humours  are  not,  O  Pepi.  Thy  sweat- 
drops  are  not,  O  Pepi.  Thy  efflux  is  not,  O  Pepi. 
Thy  emission  is  not,  O  Pepi.  .  .  .  Horus  covereth  thee 
with  his  garment,  he  seizeth  those  who  are  in  the 
following  of  Set.  He  seizeth  them,  he  breaketh  their 
heads,  he  cutteth  off  their  haunches,  he  teareth  out  their 
intestines,  he  diggeth  out  their  hearts,  he  drinketh 
copiously  of  their  blood  !  Count  thou  up  their  hearts  in 
thy  name  of  Anpu,  counter  of  hearts.  Thine  eyes  are 
made  for  thee  like  those  of  two  uraei.  Thou  art 
Ap-uat  upon  his  standard,  Anpu  of  the  Divine  House. 
Hail,  thou  Pepi,  thou  art  at  the  head  of  the  Great 
Houses  in  Anu.  The  Spirits  fear  thee,  the  imperishable 
one.  Thou  castest  the  dead  on  their  faces  before  thee, 
thou  seizest  with  thy  hand  the  Henmemet.  The  Souls 
of  Anu  pay  thee  loyal  homage,  and  they  fill  thee  with 
life  and  well-being  (or,  serenity).  He  liveth  among  the 
living,  Seker  liveth  among  the  living.  He  liveth  among 
the  living,  this  Pepi  liveth  among  the  living.  Hail, 
thou  Pepi !  Come,  live  this  thy  life  in  thy  season,  in 
thy  season,  in  these  years  of  peace.  Warm  is  the  love 
of  thee. 

548.  Thy  water  is  to  thee.  Thy  flood  is  to  thee. 
Thy  humours  are  to  thee,  coming  forth  from  Osiris. 
The  doors  of  heaven  are  open  to  thee,  the  doors  of  Nut 
are  open  to  thee  ;  the  doors  of  heaven  are  open  to  thee, 
the  doors  of  the  firmament  are  open  to  thee.  I  sis  and 
Nephthys  cry  in  content  over  thee  [when]  they  see  their 
brother  raised  up.  Thy  fetters  are  untied,  thou  layest 
aside  thy  humours,  thou  sittest  on  thy  throne  of 
alabaster  (?),  thou  art_  purified  by  thy  Four  Nemset 
vessels  and  thy  Four  Abt  vessels.  Thou  comest  from 
the  God-house,  the  god  is  with  thee,  thou  hast  abund- 
ance in  the  God-lake.  Horus  of  Nekhen  is  given  to 
thee,  he  giveth  to  thee  his  Spirits,  the  Jackals.  Behold, 
by  the  will  of  Horus,  thou  art  advanced  to  the  head  of 
the  Powers.^  Abiding  is  that  which  thou  hast  done. 
Anpu  Khenti-neter-seh  hath  decreed  that  thou  shalt 
descend  like  a  star,  the  Morning-star.     Thou  rushest  on 


p^kw■ 


Appendix  333 

the  Domain  of  Horus  of  the  South,  thou  rushest  on 
the  Domain  of  Horus  of  the  North.  Thou  seizest 
captives  (?),  their  hands  are  at  the  feet  of  thy  throne. 
Thy  father  cometh  to  thee,  Keb  cometh  to  thee,  he 
doeth  that  which  thou  didst  for  thy  father  Osiris,  on  the 
day  of  thy  perfect  festival  in  the  waters,  counting  up  the 
Hsts,  establishing  the  sandals,  decorating  his  nails,  upper 
and  lower.  The  Atert  of  the  South  and  the  Atert  of  the 
North  come  to  him  with  bowings.  .  .  . 

559.  Hail,  thou  Pepi !  Stand  up,  and  sit  thou  upon 
the  throne  of  Osiris.  Thy  flesh  (body)  is  complete  like 
[that  of]  Tern.  Thy  face  is  that  of  a  jackal.  Ra  hath 
given  to  thee  thy  mouth  ;  he  hath  removed  the  impedi- 
ments in  thy  speech,  he  hath  made  thy  words  to  flow. 
Stand  up,  then,  thou  shalt  not  come  to  an  end,  thou 
shalt  never  perish.  Live,  thou  Pepi !  Thy  mother  Nut 
layeth  hold  upon  thee,  she  joineth  herself  to  thee,  and 
Keb  taketh  thy  hand  ;  come  in  peace  before  thy  fathers. 
Thou  art  master  of  thy  body,  thou  dressest  thy  body. 
Thou  comest  forth  like  Horus  of  Tat  at  the  head  of  the 
imperishable  stars.  Seat  thyself  on  thy  throne  of 
alabaster,  on  thy  lake  Qebhu.  Live  thou,  as  liveth  the 
Beetle,  be  stablished,  like  the  Tet,  for  ever  and  ever. 

Get  thee  back,  Ken  Aka !  Thy  head  is  in  the  hand 
of  Horus,  thy  tail  in  the  hand  of  Isis,  and  the  fingers  of 
Tern  are  on  thy  brow. 

565.  The  head  of  this  Pepi  is  that  of  a  hawk ;  he 
cometh  forth,  he  flieth  up  into  heaven.^  The  skull  of 
this  Pepi  is  that  of  the  beard  (?)  of  the  god  ;  he 
cometh,  etc.  The  brow  of  this  Pepi  is  that  of  .  .  .  and 
Nu.  The  face  of  this  Pepi  is  that  of  Ap-uat.  The  eyes 
of  this  Pepi  are  those  of  Urt-Khentet-baiu-Anu.  The 
nose  of  this  Pepi  is  that  of  Thoth.  The  mouth  of  this 
Pepi  is  that  of  Khens-ur  (?)  The  tongue  of  this  Pepi  is  the 
Maaa  portion  of  the  Maat  Boat.  The  teeth  of  this  Pepi 
are  those  of  the  Souls  [of  Anu  ?].  The  lips  of  this  Pepi 
are  those  of  .  .  .  The  chin  of  this  Pepi  is  that  of  Khert- 
Khent-Sekhem.  The  backbone  of  this  Pepi  is  that  of 
[the  Bull]  Sma.     The  shoulders  of  this  Pepi  are  those 

^  "  He  cometh  forth,"  etc.,  is  repeated  after  the  identification  of 
each  member. 

VOL.  II.  Z 


334     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

of  Set.  .  .  .  The  ...  of  this  Pepi  is  that  of  Baabu.^ 
The  breast  of  this  Pepi  is  that  of  Bast.  The  belly  of 
this  Pepi  is  that  of  Nut.  .  .  .  The  ...  of  this  Pepi  is 
that  of  the  Two  Companies  of  the  Gods.  The  haunches 
of  this  Pepi  are  those  of  Heqet.  The  buttocks  of  this 
Pepi  are  those  of  the  Semktet  and  Mantchet  Boats. 
The  phallus  of  this  Pepi  is  that  of  Hep.  The  thighs 
of  this  Pepi  are  those  of  Net  and  Serqet.  The  legs  of 
this  Pepi  are  those  of  the  Twin  Souls  in  Sekhet-Tcher. 
The  soles  of  the  feet  of  this  Pepi  are  those  of  the  Two 
Maati  goddesses.  The  toe-nails  of  this  Pepi  are  those 
of  the  Souls  of  Anu. 

Now  this  Pepi  is  a  god,  the  son  of  a  god.^  Pepi  is 
the  son  of  Ra,  who  loveth  him.^  Ra  sendeth  forth  Pepi,^ 
Ra  hath  conceived  Pepi.^  Ra  hath  brought  forth  Pepi.^ 
This  word  of  power  is  the  intestines  of  Pepi.^  Pepi  is 
the  Great  Sekhem  among  the  Great  Taskmasters  in 
Anu.2  [He]  worketh  the  Boat  of  [of  Ra].^  [He  is] 
Horus  the  Babe,  the  Child. ^  Nut  hath  not  united  [with 
him],  she  hath  not  given  her  arms.*^  Keb  hath  not 
travelled  on  his  path  (?)'^  No  god  hath  drawn  aside  the 
feet  of  this  Pepi.^  He  hath  no  fruit  (?),  he  hath  no 
shade,  he  hath  not  washed  himself  in  the  laver,  he  hath 
not  smelled  the  haunch,  he  hath  not  carried  the  flesh  and 
bone,  he  hath  not  ploughed  the  earth,  he  hath  not  carried 
the  offering.-  Behold,  it  is  not  this  Pepi  who  saith  these 
things  to  you,  O  ye  gods,  but  it  is  Heka  who  saith  them 
to  you.  Pepi  is  the  warden  of  the  stand  which  is  under 
Heka.^  Ho,  let  every  god  draw  his  feet  to  Pepi.^  Ho, 
let  every  god  prepare  his  throne  in  his  Boat.^  Let  him 
plough  the  earth,  let  him  carry  the  offering,  let  him  make 
ready  the  nem^e^  vessel,  let  him  smell  the  haunch,  let  him 
carry  the  offering.^  Ho,  let  every  god  take  the  hand  of 
this  Pepi  in  heaven,  let  him  make  him  journey  to  the 
House  of  Horus  in  the  firmament,^  let  his  Ka  be 
triumphant  before  Keb. 

2  Here  comes  the  refrain  "  He  cometh  forth,"  etc 


Appendix  335 

587.  This  Pepi  cometh  before  thee,  his  father,  he 
cometh  before  thee,  O  Osiris.  He  bringeth  to  thee  thy 
Ka,  it  existeth  endowed  with  soul  (?).  His  mother  Nut 
raiseth  him  up  upon  her  brow  (?)  Thou  art  raised  up. 
Thou  art  made  complete.  Shesa-Khent-Shenat  hath 
opened  thy  mouth.  Tua-ur  in  the  House  of  Gold  hath 
opened  thy  mouth.  The  two  Statues  in  Het-Hesmen 
have  opened  thy  mouth.  Horus  hath  opened  thy  mouth 
with  his  little  finger  wherewith  he  opened  the  mouth  of 
his  father,  opened  the  mouth  of  his  father  Osiris.  This 
Pepi  is  thy  son,  this  Pepi  is  Horus.  This  Pepi  is  the 
son  loving  his  father,  in  his  name  of  Sa-mer-f.  Thou  art 
pure  in  thy  collar  (or,  breastplate),  apparel  is  given  to 
thee.  Thy  thousand  suits  of  byssus,  thy  thousand  suits  of 
fine  linen,  doth  this  Pepi  bring  to  thee,  and  he  stablisheth 
thee  therewith. 

593.  O  sons  of  Horus,  Hep,  Tuamutef,  Amset,  and 
Qebhsenuf,  make  the  motions  which  transfer  the  fluid  of 
life  to  your  father  Osiris  Pepi,  since  it  is  that  which  shall 
give  him  being  before  the  gods.  Set  striketh.  Defend  this 
Osiris  Pepi  from  him  until  the  dawn.  Horus  hath  the 
mastery.  He  himself  delivereth  his  father  this  Osiris 
Pepi.  The  father  hath  worked,  praise  him !  It  is 
Horus  who  hath  come,  he  judgeth  his  father  Osiris  Pepi. 

This  Osiris  Pepi  maketh  his  way.     Osiris  Pepi, 

is  brought  to  thee  the  Sma  Bull,  he  escapeth  not  from 
thee.  Osiris  Pepi,  is  brought  to  thee  the  Sma  Bull,  he 
maketh  his  march.  Osiris  Pepi,  is  brought  to  thee  the 
Sma  Bull  cut  in  pieces.  O  sons  of  Horus,  this  Osiris 
Pepi  marcheth.  O  ye  sons  of  Horus,  when  your  son 
passeth  under  this  Osiris  Pepi,  do  not  ye  remove  your- 
selves from  under  him,  but  bear  ye  him  up.  O  Osiris 
Pepi,  the  Sma  Bull  is  brought  to  thee  cut  in  pieces ;  he 
maketh  his  march.  O  sons  of  Horus,  Hep,  Tuamutef, 
Amset,  Qebhsenuf,  bear  ye  up  your  father  Osiris,  guide 
ye  him  along.  O  Osiris  Pepi,  he  giveth  thee  sustenance, 
he  openeth  thy  mouth,  stand  thou  up.  I  am  Nut,  I  make 
to  approach  this  Osiris  Pepi,  I  set  him  [in  his  place], 
taking  him  in  my  arms.  Hail,  father  Osiris  Pepi,  I  have 
made  thee  to  approach.  Hail,  Osiris  Pepi,  I  have  brought 
thee  forth  .... 

601.  The  earth  hath  opened  her  mouth  to  this  Osiris 

z  2 


33^     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

Pepi,  and  Keb  hath  spoken  to  him.  This  Pepi  is  as 
great  as  a  king,  and  as  glorious  as  Ra.  The  Two 
Companies  of  the  Gods  have  travelled  in  peace  to  Pepi. 
Amen-Kau  hath  opened  to  him  the  eastern  door  of 
heaven.  Nut,  the  great  goddess  with  the  long  .... 
and  the  pendent  breasts,  hath  given  to  him  her  hands, 
and  she  suckleth  him,  and  he  lacketh  nothing  from  her. 
She  draweth  him  to  heaven,  and  droppeth  him  not  on 
the  earth,  she  maketh  him  to  be  stable  as  Khent  Atert. 
He  saileth  in  the  Boat  like  Ra  over  the  regions  of  Kha, 
he  saileth  in  the  Henbu  Boat,  and  worketh  an  oar  therein 
to  Sekhet-Nenta,!  at  the  head  of  the  land  of  Sekhet- 
Aaru.  Ra  taketh  him  by  the  hand,  Tern  raiseth  up  his 
head,  Isis  graspeth  the  rope  of  his  prow,  and  Nephthys 
holdeth  fast  the  rope  from  his  stern.  Oebhet  placeth 
him  upon  her  verdure,  and  maketh  him  one  of  her 
husbandmen  and  one  of  those  who  tend  the  young- 
cattle.  Get  thee  back,  Babua,  thou  of  the  red  ear  and 
the  striped  rump  !  Thou  transportest  the  joint  .... 
thy  statue  and  thy  utterance.  Get  thee  back,  Kam-ur ! 
Retreat  into  Kher-Aha,  into  the  place  wherein  they 
(i.e.,  the  fiends)  retreat  there. 

605.  Thou  livest,  O  Pepi,  for  ever.  Keb  raiseth 
thee  up  ...  .  Behold,  thou  art  a  spirit,  Nephthys 
suckleth  thee  with  her  left  breast.  Osiris  hath  given 
thee  spirits.  Horus  hath  reared  thee.  Thy  steps  are 
before  the  Hat  of  Horus,  whither  hath  gone,  hath  gone 
the  god  from  the  time  of  Ra.  He  hath  grasped  thee  by 
thy  hand,  Seker- Khent- Petchu  hath  purified  thee.  Thy 
throne  is  in  the  firmament.  Thou  art  raised  up  a  spirit, 
O  thou  Pepi.  Thou  sittest  down,  thou  eatest.  Thy 
Ka  sitteth,  and  it  eateth  and  drinketh  with  thee,  lacking 
nothing  for  ever.  Behold,  Isis  and  Osiris^  they  rub  thy 
feet  with  their  hands.  They  bring  thee  thy  things  of 
festival.  Thy  teeth  are  white  {}),  and  thy  nails  are  those 
of  Anpu  Q).  Thou  sailest,  the  Mighty  Bull,  to  the  Field 
of  Verdure  (Sekhet-uatchet),  to  the  places  of  Ra  which 
are  pure.  Thou  art  raised  up,  this  Pepi  is  a  spirit. 
Thy  water  is  to  thee,  thy  flood  is  to  thee,  thy  effluxes 


Appendix  337 

are  to  thee,  coming  forth  from  the  emissions  of  Osiris. 
The  doors  of  heaven  are  open  to  thee,  the  doors  of  the 
firmament  are  thrown  open  to  thee,  the  doors  of  the 
Hat-house  are  open  to  thee,  and  the  doors  of  Nut  are 
unclosed  to  thee.  I  sis  crieth  welcome  to  the  Father, 
Nephthys  maketh  the  Father  to  advance  in  peace  .... 
Thy  Spirit-soul  is  behind  thee,  thy  Sekhem  is  within 
thee  ....  Heaven  weepeth  for  thee,  the  earth 
trembleth  at  thee,  Smentet  crieth  out  to  thee,  Menant 
imploreth  thee,  rubbing  for  thee  the  feet,  chafing  for 
thee  the  two  hands.  Thou  comest  forth  to  heaven  like 
a  star,  like  the  Morning  Star  Pepi  cometh  to  thee,  his 
father,  he  cometh  to  thee,  O  Keb  ....  This  Pepi  is 
the  son  of  the  Cow,  Smat,  the  great  wife,  who  conceived 
him  and  brought  him  forth,  and  set  him  inside  her  wing. 
She  saileth  over  the  Lake  with  thee,  she  goeth  along 
the  canal  with  thee  ....  Thy  sceptre  is  firm  in  thy 
hand.  Thou  smitest  [therewith],  thou  directest,  thou 
leviest  tax  on  the  lords  of  service.  Behold,  thou 
revolvest  about  Ra,  near  the  Morning  Star ;  there  is  no 
evil  to  thee,  there  is  no  evil  attached  to  thy  name  on  the 
earth. 

614.  Pepi  cometh  forth  from  Pe.  His  garment  is 
like  that  of  Horus,  his  apparel  is  like  that  of  the  Two 
Companies  of  the  Gods.  Pepi  hath  made  himself  to 
rise  on  his  throne  like  a  king,  he  hath  exalted  himself 
like  Ap-uat.  He  hath  received  the  White  Crown  and 
the  Green  Crown.  His  mace  is  in  his  hand,  his  Ames 
sceptre  resteth  in  the  palm  of  his  hand.  The  mother  of 
Pepi  is  I  sis,  his  nurse  is  Nephthys,  the  goddess  Sekhat- 
Heru  suckleth  him.  Net  (Neith)  followeth  him,  Serqet- 
het  goeth  before  him,  his  tackle  is  tightened,  his  boats 
are  grouped  together.  Behold,  the  son  of  Tem 
hungereth  [and]  thirsteth,  [and]  thirsteth  [and]  hungereth 
on  this  southern  side  of  the  Lake  of  Kha.  O  Thoth, 
who  art  in  the  shade  of  thy  grove,  give  thou  to  Pepi 
the  tip  of  the  feather  of  thy  wing  on  this  northern  side 
of  the  Lake  of  Kha.  Pepi  is  protected,  his  flesh  is 
protected  ;  Pepi  is  protected,  his  apparel  is  protected. 
He  cometh  forth  to  heaven  like  Menthu,  he  descendeth 
like  a  Ba  bird  into  his  net,  like  the  Soul  of  Ashem  .... 
Exalted   is   father  Osiris  Pepi  like  Ap-uat  ....     Thy 


33^     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

feet  are  like  those  of  a  jackal ;  stand  up  then.  Thy 
hands  are  like  those  of  a  jackal  ;  stand  up  then  .... 
Father  Osiris  Pepi  crieth  out  to  the  Steersman,^  father 
Osiris  Pepi  crieth  out  to  the  captain,^  and  they  transport 
father  Osiris  Pepi  in  their  boat,  to  the  eastern  side  of 
heaven,  to  the  place  where  the  gods  were  born  .... 
father  Osiris  Pepi  is  brought  forth  there  in  the  place 
where  the  orods  are  born.  This  star  cometh  on  the 
morrow,  and  on  the  third  day  (?).  Behold,  father 
Osiris  Pepi  standeth  up  at  the  door  under  the  belly  of 
heaven  .... 

This  Pepi  hath  taken  his  apparel  {?),^  this  Pepi 
cometh  forth  to  heaven,  stablished  like  the  earth,  the 
male  (?)  in  thy  body,  O  Nut,  under  the  seed  of  the 
god  in  thy  mother.  Pepi  is  Horus,  the  seed  of  the  god 
in  thy  mother  Nut.  Thou  hast  received*  this  Pepi  as 
thou  hast  received  the  son  of  the  god.  O  Hapath, 
O  Hapath,  O  Henena,  O  Henena,  make  ye  Pepi  to 
travel  with  you,  and  establish  ye  him  among  you.  O 
Heftnet,^  Mother  of  the  Gods,  give  thou  thy  hand  to 
this  Pepi,  give  thou  his  hand  for  life,  draw  him  to 
heaven,  even  as  thou  hast  drawn  Osiris  to  heaven.  O 
Henena,  O  Henena,  O  Hapath,  O  Hapath,  make  ye 
Pepi  to  travel  with  you,  and  establish  ye  him  among 
you. 

637.  Pure,  pure  is  the  Lake  of  Aaru.  Pure  is  Ra 
in  the  Lake  of  Aaru,  and  Pepi  himself  is  pure  in  the 
Lake  of  Aaru.  Pure  is  Shu  in  the  Lake  of  Aaru,  and 
Pepi  himself  is  pure  in  the  Lake  of  Aaru.  O  Shu,  Shu, 
lift  up  this  Pepi  to  heaven,  O  Nut,  give  thou  thy  two 
hands  to  him.  Hepaf,  Hepaf,  Henen-henen-henen, 
Hepaf,  Hepaf.  Pepi  is  pure  and  is  conveyed  to  heaven. 
This  Pepi  is  stablished  with  men.  This  Pepi  riseth  to 
the  gods.  This  Pepi  riseth  with  Ra  in  his  rising. 
Those  who  are  with  him  are  four  ;    one  followeth  him, 

'^''^  ^ 


[JQJ]  [^3J)  •  ^  Or,  swallowed. 


Appendix  339 

one  g"oeth  before  him,  one  giveth  him  water,  and  one 
giveth  him  sand  (?),  This  Pepi  riseth  on  thy  hands, 
O  Shu,  even  as  Ra  riseth  on  thy  hands,  and  they  find 
seated  to  meet  him  the  Two  Spirits,  who  are  mistresses 
of  this  earth.  Nut  rejoiceth  to  meet  this  Pepi.  Pepi 
taketh  the  nepenpet  garment  which  is  in  her  ....  of 
hfe  and  serenity,  and  which  is  under  her  ....  and 
they  sit  down  together  with  Pepi.  He  hath  removed 
from  himself  the  evil  which  appertained  to  him.  The 
goddess  Serqet  giveth  her  two  hands  to  this  Pepi,  she 
conveyeth  her  breast  to  the  mouth  of  Pepi,  the  great 
Morning  Star^  shaveth  him,  and  the  goddess  Sept 
poureth  water  on  his  hands.  Pepi  is  born  this  day 
[among]  the  gods.  His  first  mother  knoweth  him  not, 
but  Nut  who  bringeth  him  forth  with  Osiris  knoweth 
him. 

643.  This  Pepi  setteth  forth  with  thee,  O  Horus. 
O  Thoth,  bear  him  on  the  tip  of  thy  wing.  Behold,  it  is 
Seker  at  the  head  of  the  Maat  Boat  ....  He  who 
passeth  passeth  with  his  Ka.  Em-khent-merti  passeth 
with  his  Ka,  and  this  Pepi  passeth  with  his  Ka  to 
heaven.  He  hath  taken  the  Ladder,  and  hath  ascended 
it  in  its  name  of  "  Aq-er-pet."  He  saileth  in  its  boat 
to  the  sceptres  of  the  imperishable  stars.  The  Bull  of 
Heaven  inclineth  his  horn  and  maketh  him  to  pass  on 
his  way  to  the  Lakes  of  Tat.  Hail,  Pepi,  thou  shalt  not 
fall  to  the  earth.  This  Pepi  hath  grasped  the  Two 
Sycamore  Trees  which  are  in  the  midst  of  that  side  of 
the  sky,  he  saileth  on,  and  they  place  him  in  that  eastern 
side  of  heaven.  Know  thou  thy  name,  be  not  ignorant 
of  thy  name.  Thy  name  is  "  An-tcher-f,"  and  "Urrt" 
is  the  name  of  thy  father,  and  the  mother  who  bore 
thee  is  "  Hetep."  If  thou  repulsest  the  offspring  of 
An-tcher-f  in  the  horizon,  thou  wilt  repulse  this  Pepi 
when  he  cometh  to  the  place  where  thou  art.  If  thou 
repulsest  the  offspring  of  Serqet,  thou  wilt  repulse  this 
Pepi  when  he  cometh  to  the  place  where  thou  art.  If 
thou  repulsest  the  Two  Lands"  of  Horus,  thou  wilt 
repulse  this   Pepi  when  he  cometh  to  the  place  where 


340     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

thou  art.  If  thou  repulsest  the  offspring  of  Sah  (Orion), 
thou  wih  repulse  this  Pepi  when  he  cometh  to  the  place 
where  thou  art.  If  thou  repulsest  the  offspring  of  Sept 
(Sothis),  thou  wilt  repulse  this  Pepi  when  he  cometh 
to  the  place  where  thou  art.  If  thou  repulsest  the  Two 
Bentu^  of  Ra,  his  two  sons  who  love  him,  thou  wilt 
repulse  this  Pepi  when  he  cometh  to  the  place  where 
thou  art.  If  thou  repulsest  the  offspring  of  Ap-uat  in 
Per-Khen,  thou  wilt  repulse  this  Pepi  when  he  cometh 
to  the  place  where  thou  art.  If  thou  repulsest  the  men 
of  the  king,  the  son  of  God,  thou  wilt  repulse  this  Pepi 
when  he  cometh  to  the  place  where  thou  art.  If  thou 
repulsest  thy  sailors  of  the  imperishable  stars  of  thy 
boat,  thou  wilt  prevent  them  from  allowing  Pepi  to 
embark  in  thy  boat.  If  thou  repulsest  the  men  belong- 
ing to  the  dead  (or,  death),  thou  wilt  prevent  this  Pepi 
from  embarking  in  thy  boat.  If  thou  repulsest  the  men 
belonging  to  earth,  thou  wilt  prevent  this  Pepi  from 
embarking  in  thy  boat.  Behold,  thou  art  Seksen,"  the 
messenger  of  Ra.  This  Pepi  is  not  driven  away  from 
heaven,  and  the  goddess  Mathet^  giveth  her  hands  to 
this  Pepi,  the  Doorkeeper  of  heaven.  Her-f-ha-f 
uniteth  him  to  his  boat  of  the  Lake  of  Kha,  he  doth 
not  repulse  this  Pepi,  he  maketh  no  obstacles  for  him, 
[saying]  :  "He  is  one  of  you,  O  ye  gods."  This  Pepi 
cometh  to  thee,  O  Ra,  this  Pepi  cometh  to  thee,  O  An- 
tcher-f  He  worketh  the  boat  for  thee,  he  maketh  passes 
over  thee  [with  his  hands],  he  loveth  thee  with  his  body, 
he  loveth  thee  with  his  heart. 

652.  Water  on  the  sky,  O  Baq-tree  of  the  firma- 
ment !  The  sky  hath  produced  a  god  on  the  hand  of 
Shu  and  Tefnut,  on  the  hands  of  Pepi.  The  gods  say  : 
O  Uben-ur  {i.e.,  Great  Light),  hearken  to  this  word 
which  Pepi  uttereth  to  thee.  Be  gracious  to  this  Pepi, 
for  he  is  a  Chief,  the  son  of  a  Chief.  This  Pepi  is 
with  thee,  rear  thou  this  Pepi  for  everlasting  life  and 
serenity  with  thyself.  O  Kheprer,  hear  thou  this  word 
which  he  shall  say  unto  thee.      Be  gracious  to  this  Pepi, 


Appendix  341 

for  he  is  a  Chief,  the  son  of  a  Chief.  This  Pepi  is  with 
thee,  rear  thou  this  Pepi  with  thee.  O  Nu,  hear  thou 
this  word  which  he  shall  say  unto  thee.  Be  gracious 
unto  him,  for  he  is  a  Chief,  the  son  of  a  Chief.  This 
Pepi  is  with  thee,  rear  thou  him  with  thee.  O  Tern, 
hear  thou  this  word  which  he  shall  say  unto  thee.  Be 
gracious  to  this  Pepi,  for  he  is  a  Chief,  the  son  of  a 
Chief.  He  is  with  thee,  rear  thou  him  with  thee. 
O  Uash,i  sQj^  Qf  'KQh,  Power,  son  of  Osiris,  hear  thou 
this  word  which  he  shall  say  unto  thee.  Be  gracious 
unto  him,  for  he  is  a  Chief,  the  son  of  a  Chief.  This 
Pepi  is  with  thee,  rear  thou  him  with  thee.  Come  (?) 
thou  to  this  Pepi  in  thy  name  of  "  Ra  destroyed  of  the 
covering  of  the  sky."  Let  Heru-khuti  cause  him  to 
hear  his  souls  praised  in  the  mouth  of  the  Two  Com- 
panies of  the  Gods.  "  Beneficent  one,"  saith  his  mother  ; 
"  Heir,"  saith  Osiris.  This  Pepi  hath  not  eaten  the 
Eye  of  Horus  ;  men  say  :  "  He  will  die  because  of  this." 
Pepi  hath  not  eaten  the  flesh  of  Osiris  ;  the  gods  say  : 
"  He  will  die  because  of  it."  This  Pepi  liveth  as  the 
equal  (?)  of  his  father  Tem.  Protect  (?)  thou  him,  O 
goddess  Nekhebet,  thou  hast  protected  this  Pepi,  O 
Nekhebet,  dweller  in  the  House  of  the  Prince  which  is 
in  Anu  (Heliopolis). 

.  .  .  657.  Pepi  hath  passed  his  day  under  death, 
even  as  Set  hath  passed  his  day  under  death.  Pepi  hath 
passed  his  half-monchs  under  death,  even  as  Set  hath 
passed  his  half-months  under  death.  Pepi  hath  passed 
his  months  under  death,  even  as  Set  hath  passed 
his  months  under  death.  Pepi  hath  passed  his  year 
under  death,  even  as  Set  hath  passed  his  year  under 
death. 

The  hands  of  Pepi  have  not  ploughed  the  earth. 
Behold  it  is  Shu  who  beareth  up  Nut.  The  bones  of 
Pepi  are  of  alabaster  (?),  and  his  flesh  is  imperishable. 
Pepi  is  the  star  Ap-shep-pet  (Jupiter  ?).  This  Pepi 
approacheth  the  God  and  is  protected.  Heaven  shall 
not  be  empty  of  this  Pepi,  and  earth  shall  not  be  empty 
of  this  Pepi  for  ever.  This  Pepi  liveth  life  more  than 
your  sceptres  atL     O  ye  gods  of  the  Sky,  ye  imperishable 


■f] 


ryn,  1-  654. 


342     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

ones,  who  sail  over  the  Land  of  Tehenu  in  your 
boats,  and  direct  them  with  your  sceptres,  this  Pepi 
directeth  his  boat  with  you  by  means  of  the  Uas  sceptre 
and  the  Tchdm  sceptre,  and  he  is  the  fourth  (or,  third) 
with  you.  O  ye  gods  of  heaven,  ye  imperishable  ones, 
who  sail  over  the  Land  of  Tahennu,  who  transport 
yourselves  by  means  of  your  sceptres,  this  Pepi  trans- 
porteth  himself  with  you  by  means  of  the  tjas  and 
Tcham,  and  he  is  the  fourth  with  you.  O  ye  gods  of 
heaven,  ye  imperishable  ones,  who  sail  over  the  Land  of 
Tahennu,  who  transport  yourselves  by  means  of  your 
sceptres,  this  Pepi  transporteth  himself  with  you  by 
means  of  the  Uas  and  Tchdm,  according  to  the  decree  of 
Horus,  the  Erpat,  the  King  of  the  gods.  This  Pepi 
hath  seized  the  White  Crown  which  is  bound  to  the 
Green  Crown.  Pepi  is  the  uraeus  which  cometh  forth 
from  Set,  which  carrieth  off  that  which  is  brought,  and 
Pepi  beareth  it  away  and  giveth  himself  life.  Pepi  is 
the  written  roll  which  cometh  forth  from  Nunu.  Pepi 
is  the  Eye  of  Horus  which  is  uninjured  and  watereth  ; 
he  is  uninjured  and  watereth.  Hearken,  O  Ra,  unto 
this  word  which  Pepi  uttereth  to  thee  ;  thy  body  is  Pepi, 
O  Ra,  make  to  live  thy  body  in  him,  O  Ra.  Kenmut 
slaughtereth  the  apes,  and  the  apes  slaughter  Kenmut. 
O  thou  Fowler,  O  thou  Male,  be  there  agreement 
between  you.  For  that  first  body,  Pepi,  of  the  swathings, 
and  of  the  triumph,  was  born  when  Tchent  did  not 
exist,  was  born  when  the  Word  did  not  exist,  was  born 
when  Shentet  did  not  exist,  was  born  when  Khennu 
did  not  exist,  was  born  when  the  Eye  of  Horus  was 
not  stabbed  and  when  the  testicles  of  Set  were  not 
eradicated. 

This  Pepi  is  the  diies  matter  which  cometh  forth 
from  Isis,  and  the  red  essence  which  cometh  forth  from 
Nephthys.  Pepi  is  strong  .  .  .  the  gods  do  nothing 
against  him.  Pepi  is  the  seat^  of  Ra,  and  he  dieth  not. 
Keb,  the  Erpat  of  the  gods,  beareth  him,  Tem  pro- 
videth  him  with  his  Eye,  Thoth  beareth  what  is  among 
the  offerings  of  the  gods,  Horus  openeth  for  him,  and 
Set  protecteth  him.     This  Pepi  shineth  in  the  eastern 

■Pi 


Appendix  343 

part  of  heaven,  just  as  Ra  shineth  in  the  eastern  part  of 
heaven. 

663.  O  Guardian,  mother  in  whom  is  Pepi,  he  being 
in  Nut,  this  Pepi  was  brought  forth  by  father  Tern 
when  there  was  no  heaven,  when  there  was  no  earth, 
when  there  were  no  men,  when  the  gods  were  not 
brought  forth,  when  there  was  no  death.  This  Pepi 
hath  shortened  [his]  day  under  death  as  Set  shortened 
his  day  under  death.  Pepi  is  at  your  vases,  O  gods  of 
Nut,^  who  smite  not  your  enemies,  whom  their  enemies 
smite  not.  This  Pepi  is  not  smitten,  his  enemies  are 
not.  Ye  do  not  die  hke  a  king,  and  Pepi  dieth  not 
like  a  king  ;  ye  do  not  die  Hke  every  one  who  dieth,  and 
Pepi  doth  not  die  Hke  every  one  who  dieth.  Pepi  is 
imperishable,  the  king  (?)  of  the  great  heaven,  who 
dwelleth  in  Het-Serqet.  Ra  hath  drawn  Pepi  to  the 
sky,  this  Pepi  Hveth,  just  as  he  who  entereth  on  the 
right  side  of  heaven  and  cometh  forth  from  the  left  side, 
Hveth.  Pepi  commandeth  Am-hent-f,  and  Am-Sep-f 
.  .  .  Pepi  is  a  star.  The  magical  power  of  Ra  is  on 
this  Pepi,  Ra  weigheth  not  his  magical  power  on  this 
Pepi.  Horus  throweth  this  Pepi  on  his  shoulders,  he 
accounteth  him  as  Shu,  directing  [his]  hands  under  Nut. 
O  Ra,  give  thy  hand  to  this  Pepi !  O  Great  God,  give 
thy  staff  to  Pepi  and  let  him  live  for  ever ! 

667.  "  Happy  are  those  who  see,  those  who  rest  in 
Petet,"  saith  I  sis.  This  god  cometh  forth  to  heaven, 
his  soul  is  on  him,  his  knife  is  with  him,  words  of 
power  are  his  speech,  and  Tem  doeth  for  him  what  he 
did  for  himself.  The  orods  who  belono-  to  heaven  brino- 
this  Pepi,  and  the  gods  who  belong  to  earth  embrace 
him.  They  place  their  hands  under  him,  they  form  a 
ladder  for  him,  and  he  entereth  into  heaven  thereby. 
The  doors  of  heaven  are  open  to  him,  the  firmament 
is  thrown  wide  open  before  him.  Tem  hath  gathered 
together  the  nomes  to  him,  and  Keb  hath  given  him  towns 
which  are  called  "  Aats,"  the  Aats  of  Horus,  the  Aats 
of  Set,  and  Sekhet-Aaru.  Pepi  is  Rahes,"  Governor 
of  the  South-land.     Pepi  is  Tetun,  Governor  of  Ta-sti 


o 


%■    '-^M^^-mk- 


344     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

(Nubia).  Pepi  is  Sept,  under  his  Sebt  trees.  If  ye 
were  to  slay  him,  if  ye  were  to  order  his  death,  he 
would  not  die,  for  this  Pepi  shall  most  certainly  live  for 
ever  .... 

669.  Thou  watchest  in  peace,  Hesmenu,  in  peace. 
Thou  watchest  in  peace,  Heru-abt,  in  peace.  Thou 
watchest  in  peace,  Ba-abt,  in  peace.  Thou  watchest  in 
peace,  Heru-khuti,  in  peace.  Thou  sleepest  in  the 
Semktet  Boat,  thou  wakest  up  in  the  Mantchet  Boat, 
behold,  thou  seest  the  Chief  of  the  gods,  but  no  god 
seeth  thy  chief  O  Ra,  Father  of  Pepi,  thou  drawest 
him  with  thee  to  life  with  thy  mother  Nut.  Open  the 
doors  of  heaven  to  him,  unfold  the  doors  of  the  firmament 
to  him,  and  let  him  be  thy  porter,  and  vivify  thou  him. 
Command  thou  that  he  is  to  sit  by  thee,  on  the  shoulders 
of  the  Morning  Star  on  the  horizon.  O  Ra,  Father  of 
Pepi,  command  the  Great  Bear  which  is  near  thee  to 
yield  up  its  place  to  him  on  the  Uart-ur  under  the 
firmament,  and  command  Ankh,  the  son  of  Septet,  to 
speak  over  (?)  Pepi.  Make  him  to  establish  a  throne 
for  him  in  heaven.  Pepi  giveth  orders  to  Ur-shepsef, 
the  beloved  of  Ptah,  the  son  of  Ptah.  His  words  are 
on  Pepi,  he  maketh  to  grow  the  tchefa  food  (or, 
offering)  in  his  abode  on  the  earth.  Pepi  is  one  of 
those  four  gods  Amset,  Hep,  Tuamutef,  and  Qebhsenuf, 
who  live  on  Maat,  who  are  exalted  by  reason  of  their 
sceptres,  and  watch  over  (?)  the  Land  of  the  South.  He 
flieth,  he  flieth  from  you,  O  men,  like  the  geese,  he 
delivereth  his  hands  from  you  like  a  hawk,  he  removeth 
his  body  from  you  like  a  tchert  bird.  Deliver  this 
Pepi  from  Am-uart  on  the  earth,  remove  him  from 
Am-aa. 

682.  Homage  to  thee,  O  Sycamore,  companion  of 
the  Pfod,  whereunder  stand  the  o"ods  of  Nut !  Flame 
blazeth  about  it,  fire  burneth  inside  it,  Maat  extmguisheth 
it  (?).  Those  who  are  in  Nu  embrace  thee,  those  who 
are  in  the  canals  put  their  arms  about  thee.  Thy  breast 
is  on  the  shoulder  of  Osiris,  ....  the  Great  Tet  .... 
Thou  standest  up,  Osiris,  thy  shadow  (?)  is  on  thee, 
O  Osiris.  Thy  diadem  repulseth  Set  ....  The  terror 
of  thee  is  on  the  wardens  of  the  sky,  the  fear  of  thee  is  on 
the  wardens  of  the  earth.     Thou  layest  thy  knife  (?)  on 


Appendix  345 

the  hearts  of  the  Kings  of  the  North  who  are  in  the 
town  of  Pe.  This  Pepi  cometh  to  thee,  O  Horus,  the 
Heir  of  Keb,  the  Word  of  Tern.  To  thee  is  Tern  and 
the  Two  Companies  of  the  Gods  speak  ;  to  thee  is 
Tern  and  thou  speakest.  Behold,  this  Pepi  is  the 
counterpart  of  the  gods  who  dwell  in  the  sky.  Those 
who  are  in  the  canals  embrace  thee,  those  who  are  in 
the  imperishable  stars  encompass  thee  .... 

685.  Behold  him  who  cometh.  Behold  him  who 
cometh,  saith  Sehpu. 

Behold,  the  son  of  Ra  cometh,  the  beloved  of  Ra 
cometh,  saith  Sehpu. 

Let  him  come,  let  him  come,  saith  Horus. 

Behold  him  who  cometh.  Behold  him  who  cometh, 
saith  Sehpu. 

Behold,  the  son  of  Ra  cometh,  the  beloved  of  Ra 
cometh,  saith  Sehpu. 

Let  him  come,  let  him  come,  saith  Set. 

Behold  him  who  cometh.  Behold  him  who  cometh, 
saith  Sehpu. 

Behold,  the  son  of  Ra  cometh,  the  beloved  of  Ra 
cometh,  saith  Sehpu. 

Let  him  come,  let  him  come,  saith  Keb. 

Behold  him  who  cometh.  Behold  him  who  cometh, 
saith  Sehpu. 

Behold,  the  son  of  Ra  cometh,  the  beloved  of  Ra 
cometh,  saith  Sehpu. 

Let  him  come,  let  him  come,  say  the  Souls  of  Anu 
and  the  Souls  of  Pe. 

Praise  be  to  Ra,  is  what  men  say  when  they  stand  by 
the  side  of  Pepi  on  the  earth.  Behold,  thou  risest  in 
the  East  of  the  sky.  Give  thy  hand  to  Pepi,  and 
draw  thou  him  with  thee  to  the  eastern  side  of  the 
sky.  Praise  be  to  Ra,  is  what  men  say  when  they 
stand  by  the  side  of  Pepi  on  the  earth.  Behold,  thou 
risest  in  the  South  of  the  sky.  Give  thy  hand  to 
Pepi,  and  draw  thou  him  with  thee  to  the  Southern 
side  of  the  sky.  Praise  be  to  Ra,  is  what  men  say 
when  they  stand  by  the  side  of  Pepi  on  the  earth. 
Behold,  thou  risest  in  the  heart  of  the  sky.  Give  thou 
thy  hand  to  Pepi,  and  draw  thou  him  with  thee  to  the 


346     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

heart  of  the    sky.     Thine    offerings    are   brought   unto 
thee,  and  gifts  for  thee  are  brought  before  thee. 

Saith  Set,  the  brother  of  Osiris :  "  Place  Osiris  on  his 
side."  Saith  Ra  :  "  Let  the  dweller  in  Netat  move,  and 
raise  up  his  head.  The  thing  which  he  abominateth  is 
sleep,  what  he  hateth  is  weakness  ;  he  shall  not  rot,  he 
shall  not  become  corruption,  this  Pepi  shall  not 
perish."  Saith  your  .  .  .  .  O  gods  :  "  Thou  watchest 
in  peace.  Osiris  watcheth  in  peace.  He  who  is  in 
Netat  watcheth  in  peace."  "  Raise  his  head,"  saith  Ra. 
His  odour  is  that  of  the  Uraeus."  "  Raise  the  head  of 
Pepi,"  saith  Ra.  "  The  odour  of  Pepi  is  that  of  the 
Uraeus.  He  shall  not  rot,  he  shall  not  become  corrup- 
tion, this  Pepi  shall  not  perish,"  saith  your  Tchent, 
O  gods.  "  This  Pepi  is  of  thy  seed,  O  Osiris  [and 
Septet]  in  thy  name  of  'Am-Uatch-ur  Heru-khent- 
khu.'  He  shall  not  rot,  he  shall  not  become  corrup- 
tion, this  Pepi  shall  not  perish,"  saith  your  Tchent, 
O  gods.  He  cometh  forth  from  his  house  clothed  like 
Horus,  arrayed  like  Thoth.  The  mother  of  Pepi  is  thy  Ant, 
O  God,  the  father  of  Pepi  is  Anu,  and  Pepi  himself  is  thy 
Anu,  O  God.  Ra  hath  conceived  Pepi,  Ra  hath  brought 
him  forth,  Pepi  is  of  thy  seed,  of  Ra  and  Septet,  in  thy 
name  of  "  Heru-khent-khu,"  the  star  which  saileth 
over  the  Great  Green  Sea.  "He  shall  not  rot,  he 
shall  not  become  corruption,  he  shall  not  perish,"  saith 
your  Tchent,  O  gods.  He  is  one  of  the  Four  Gods, 
children  of  Keb,  who  travel  over  the  South  and  North, 
and  stand  by  their  sceptres,  who  are  anointed  with  hatet 
unguent,  and  arrayed  in  dtmd  apparel,  who  live  on  figs, 
and  drink  wine,  and  are  anointed  with  that  same 
substance  wherewith  ye  are  anointed.  Pepi  is  dressed  as 
ye  are  dressed,  he  liveth  upon  what  ye  live  upon,  he 
drinketh  that  which  ye  drink,  he  journeyeth  with  you,  he 
liveth  upon  what  ye  yourselves  live  on.  Give  ye  to  him 
his  allotted  portion  from  that  which  your  father  Keb  gave 
unto  you  so  that,  having  it,  ye  might  not  hunger  or 
perish.  Stretch  ye  out  your  hands  to  this  Pepi  of  life, 
the  sweetest  smelling  being  of  those  who  smell  sweet. 
Collect  the  bones  of  this  Pepi,  knit  together  his  limbs.  He 
sitteth  on  his  throne,  he  shall  not  rot,  he  shall  not  suffer 
corruption,  he  shall  not  perish,  saith  your  Tchent,  O  gods. 


Appendix  347 

694.  Pepi  Cometh  to  you,  O  mother  of  Pepi,  he 
cometh  to  Nut.  Thou  makest  him  enter  the  sky,  thou 
makest  the  stars  to  withdraw  before  him,  his  odour  is 
like  the  odour  of  thy  son  who  cometh  forth  from  thee, 
his  odour  is  like  the  odour  of  Osiris  thy  son,  who 
cometh  forth  from  thee.  O  Nu,  Pepi  hath  raised  his 
arm  to  the  sky,  he  ruleth  the  earth,  and  he  giveth  [it]  to 
thee.  He  cometh  forth,  he  ascendeth  to  heaven.  He 
worketh  magic  for  Ra,  [he  is]  Heru-khent-khu,  the 
sweetest  smelling  of  those  who  smell  sweet.  Thou 
watchest  in  peace.  Ra  watcheth  in  peace.  Thou 
watchest  in  peace.  Meta  watcheth  in  peace.  He  giveth 
a  writing  to  this  Pepi,  into  his  hand,  the  sweetest 
smelling  of  those  who  smell  sweet.  Osiris  riseth,  pure 
of  Sekhem,  exalted,  Lord  of  Maat  at  the  New  Year, 
Lord  of  the  Year.  Tem,  the  father  of  the  gods,  is  at 
peace.  Shu  and  Tefnut  are  at  peace.  Keb  and  Nut 
are  at  peace.  Osiris  and  I  sis  are  at  peace.  Set  and 
Neith  are  at  peace.  All  the  gods  in  heaven  are  at 
peace,  all  the  gods  who  are  in  the  earth  and  in  the  water 
are  at  peace,  all  the  gods  of  the  South  and  North  are  at 
peace,  all  the  gods  of  the  West  and  East  are  at  peace, 
all  the  gods  of  the  nomes  are  at  peace,  and  all  the  gods 
of  the  cities  are  at  peace  by  reason  of  this  great  and 
mighty  word  which  cometh  forth  from  the  mouth  of 
Thoth  to  Osiris,  the  seal-bearer  of  life,  the  seal  of  the 
gods. 

697.  Anubis,  the  judge  of  hearts,  judgeth  Osiris 
Pepi  with  the  gods  who  belong  to  the  earth  and  the 
gods  who  belong  to  heaven,  the  lord  of  wine  in  Uakh, 
counting  for  him  his  year,  remembering  for  him  his 
hours.  Pepi  counteth  his  year  with  him,  he  remembereth 
his  hours  with  him.  Nu  cometh,  saith  Tem.  Come  to 
us,  say  they,  say  the  gods  to  thee,  Osiris.  The  brother 
of  the  Eldest  One  cometh,  the  first  of  his  father,  the 
image  of  his  mother.  Heaven  conceived  him,  the  Tuat 
brought  him  forth.  Heaven  conceived  this  Pepi  with 
him.  The  Tuat  brought  this  Pepi  forth  with  him. 
Heaven  beareth  thee  up  on  thy  right  side  with  life,  and 
thou  livest,  by  the  command  of  the  gods  thou  livest. 
Heaven  beareth  up  this  Pepi  on  his  right  side  with  life, 
and  he  liveth,  he  liveth,  by  the  command  of  the  gods  he 


348     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

liveth.  Thou  rulest  the  earth  on  thy  left  side  with  the 
sceptre,  thou  Hvest,  thou  Hvest,  by  the  command  of  the 
gods  thou  Hvest.  Pepi  ruleth  heaven  on  his  left  side 
with  life,  and  he  liveth,  he  liveth,  by  the  command  [of 
the  gods]  he  liveth,  Pepi  appeareth  on  the  east  side  of 
heaven,  he  descendeth  like  a  green  goose,  he  descendeth 
to  the  Lakes  of  the  Tuat.  Pepi  hath  been  purified  in 
the  Lakes  of  the  Smen  Goose. 

Osiris  Pepi,  pass  thou  not  through  the  Lands  of  the 
East,  but  pass  thou  through  the  Lands  of  the  West,  by 
the  path  of  the  Followers  of  Ra.  Thy  tribute  cometh 
to  thee,  thy  messengers  bear  unto  thee  thy  dues  ;  thy 
ancestors  march  to  thee,  and  they  bear  thee  to  Ra, 
supporting  the  East  on  [their]  sceptre[s].  Thou  knowest 
them,  thou  art  gracious  to  them,  thou  settest  them  in 
thy  hands,  they  pasture  for  thee  thy  calves.  Behold, 
thou  art  their  conqueror,  they  come  into  thy  hands. 
Thou  goest  forth  to  them,  endowed  with  soul,  provided 
...  in  thy  name  of  "  Smetu."  Thy  Nekhakha  whip 
is  in  thy  hand,  thy  Mekes  sceptre  is  near  thee,  those 
who  bow  their  faces  make  obeisance  unto  thee,  and  the 
imperishable  stars  adore  thee.  Behold,  thou  art  their 
conqueror,  and  they  make  their  way  into  thy  hands. 
Thou  bindest  their  faces  in  thy  name  of  "  Mehit."  They 
count  thee  up  complete  in  thy  name  of  "  Anpu."  n 
The  gods  do  not  come  down  to  thee  in  thy  name  of  Jl^ 
Thou  standest  upright  at  the  head  of  the  gods,  \ 
thou  eldest  son  ;  behold  thou  art  the  heir  on  the  ^ 
throne  of  Keb. 

702.  This  coming  forth  of  thine,  O  thou  Osiris  Pepi, 
is  in  thine  house.  Horus  cometh  forth  embracing  thee, 
O  thou  Osiris  Pepi.  Thy  tribute  cometh  to  thee,  thy 
messengers  bear  unto  thee  thy  dues,  thy  servitors 
surround  thee,  they  say  to  Ra  :  "  Behold,  Pepi  cometh  to 
"  thee,  the  son  of  Keb,  [he  who  is  seated]  on  the  throne 
"  of  Amen."  Thou  sailest  over  the  Lake  of  Kha,  thou 
traversest  the  Lake  of  Kenset.  Thou  bowest  at  the 
east  side  of  heaven,  thou  takest  thy  seat  in  the  two 
Halls  of  the  Horizon.  Thou  stretchest  out  thy  hand  to 
them,  thou  stretchest  out  thine  hand  to  the  gods  ;  they 
give  unto  thee  praises,  they  come  unto  thee  with  bowings 
of  their  backs   in  homage.     They  praise  thee  as  they 


Appendix  349 

praise  Ra,  they  come  with  bowings  to  thee  as  they  do 
to  Ra. 

704.  Smite,  Father,  the  Bull  Sma-ur.  Thou  smitest, 
Father,  thou  slayest  the  Great  Bull.  O  Father,  Osiris 
Pepi,  the  Bull  is  smitten,  smitten  for  thee,  smitten  for 
thee,  smitten  by  the  Smiter  (or.  Slaughterer).  The 
Nek  Bull  is  smitten  for  thee,  smitten.  Thou  art  upon 
his  back,  upon  the  back  of  the  Bull.  Thou  openest  the 
Bull  with  thy  weapon.  Thou  drivest  thy  lance  into  the 
Bull.  Thou  takest  him  by  the  ear.  His  head  is  cut  off. 
His  tail  is  cut  off.  His  forelegs  are  cut  off  His 
haunches  are  cut  off.  His  haunch  is  to  serve  as  a 
haunch  before  Tern,  the  father  of  the  gods.  His  two 
cheeks  (?)  are  for  Shu  and  Tefnut.  His  two  jaw-bones 
are  for  Keb  and  Nut.  His  two  flanks  are  for  Isis  and 
Nephthys.  His  two  khentchui  are  for  Khent-merti  and 
Nest  (?).  His  backbone  i^)  is  for  Neith  and  Serqet. 
His  heart  is  for  Sekhmet-urt.  His  intestines  are  for  the 
Four  Gods  whom  Horus  brouofht  forth,  and  who  are 
beloved  by  him,  Hep,  Amkest  (.'*),  Tuamutef,  and 
Qebhsenuf.  His  head,  his  tail,  his  forelegs,  his  hind 
legs,  are  for  Anpu-tep-tu  and  Osiris- Khent-ment-f. 
The  character  (?)  of  the  gods  is  in  him,  of  the  Souls  of 
Nekhen,  of  the  Souls  of  Pe.  [He]  eateth  the  red  bull, 
[he]  journeyeth  on  the  Lake.  Horus  hath  done  [this] 
for  his  father  Osiris,  this  Pepi. 

Behold,  this  is  thy  habitation,  Hent-het  (?),  O  Osiris 
Pepi.  The  winds  are  brought  to  it,  the  north  wind  is 
collected  therein,  and  it  raiseth  thee  up  in  the  form  of 
Osiris  Pepi.  The  god  Shesmu  cometh  to  thee  with 
water  and  wine  ;  Khent-ment-f  [cometh]  with  vessels  of 
drink  for  the  Chief  of  the  two  Atert-gods.  Thou 
standest  up,  thou  sittest  like  Anpu,  Chief  of  Ta-Tchesert. 
The  god  Aker  standeth  up  before  thee,  Shu  riseth  to 
meet  thee.  Hep  (the  Nile)  trembleth  at  the  sight  [of 
thee]  .  .  .  The  pools  are  full  of  fragrant  flowers, 
the  banks  of  the  canals  are  covered  with  blossoms.  The 
offerings  of  the  gods  come.  Men  are  glad,  and  the 
hearts  of  the  gods  rejoice. 

709.  Pepi  cometh  to  thee,  Horus,  and  thou  declarest 
unto  him  that  great  and  beautiful  word  which  thou  didst 
utter  to  Osiris.     Pepi  becometh  great  by  means  of  it, 

VOL.  II.  2    A 


350     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

and  he  becometh  mighty  thereby.  He  hath  gained 
possession  of  his  viscera,  his  Ba  (heart-soul)  is  with  him, 
he  is  prepared  with  his  head,  which  Horus  gave  unto 
Osiris.  He  is  established  in  heaven  as  firmly  as  a 
mountain  [is  established  in  the  earth],  and  is  like  the 
support  of  heaven.  He  swoopeth  down  upon  heaven 
like  the  great  crane  ahaii,  which  pursueth  his  way 
through  the  tresses  of  heaven.  The  feathers  upon  his 
pinions  are  like  unto  sharp  knives  of  flint,  he  giveth  to 
Pepi  the  nails  of  his  claws.  The  star  Septet  (Sothis) 
graspeth  the  hand  of  Pepi.  Pepi  plougheth  the  earth, 
he  slaughtereth  the  captive  victim  for  an  offering.  The 
two  Nomes  of  the  god  roar  at  Pepi  when  he  advanceth 
to  become  the  Chief  of  the  gods._  He  taketh  his  seat 
on  his  crystal  (?)  throne,  and  the  Ab  sceptre  which  is  in 
his  hand  [is]  crystal.  He  lifteth  up  his  hand  to  the 
children  of  their  fathers,  they  stand  up  before  him,  he 
layeth  his  hand  upon  them,  they  sit  down.  His  face  is 
like  that  of  the  jackal,  his  interior  is  like  the  Nome  of 
Aphroditopolis.  He  passeth  judgment  like  Sebek,  the 
dweller  in  Shetet,  and  like  Anpu  (.'^),  the  dweller  in 
Tabet.  Pepi  crieth  out  to  a  thousand  (?),  and  the 
Henmemet  Spirits  come  to  him  bowing  their  backs  in 
homage,  and  they  say  unto  him  :  "  Who  hath  done  this 
for  thee.'*"  Behold,  the  Mother  of  Pepi  is  the  goddess 
Smat-urt,  she  who  hath  long  hair,  and  a  headdress  of 
flowing  hair,  and  long,  pendent  breasts.^  She  beareth 
Pepi  up  to  heaven,  not  allowing  him  to  touch  the  ground, 
among  the  glorious  gods.  Pepi  looketh  upon  their 
splendour,  and  himself  becometh  splendid  likewise,  Pepi 
[resembleth]  his  father  Osiris,  and  the  Henmemet  Spirits 
glorify  him  (or,  make  him  glorious). 

Homage  to  thee,  Tem  !  Homage  to  thee,  Kheprer, 
thou  self-created  one  !  Thou  art  exalted  in  thy  name  of 
"Qa,"  thou  comest  into  being  in  thy  name  of  Kheprer. 
Homage  to  thee,  O  Eye  of  Horus  !  He  is  equipped 
with  his  arms  and  hands  completely.  He  will  not 
allow  thee   to  be  heard  by  those   in    the  west,   he  will 


Appendix  351 

not  permit  thee  to  be  heard  by  those  in  the  east,  he 
will  not  permit  thee  to  be  heard  by  those  in  the  south, 
he  will  not  permit  thee  to  be  heard  by  those  in  the 
north,  he  will  not  permit  thee  to  be  heard  by  those  in 
the  middle  of  the  earth,  [but]  thou  shalt  be  heard  by 
Horus.  There  shall  be  performed  for  him  everything 
which  he  speaketh  in  every  place  whither  he  shall  go. 
Water  (?)  shall  be  raised  up  for  him  there,  water  (?) 
shall  be  raised  up  for  him  when  it  is  there.  Thy  staff 
shall  be  lifted  up  for  him  there,  thy  staff  shall  be  lifted 
up  for  him  when  he  is  there.  Food-offerings  shall  be 
raised  up  for  him  there,  food-offerings  shall  be  raised 
up  for  him  when  he  is  there.  The  henket-offerings 
shall  be  raised  up  for  him  there,  they  shall  be  raised  up 
for  him  when  they  are  there.  Everything  shall  be 
raised  up  for  him  there,  and  it  shall  be  raised  when  it  is 
there.  He  shall  be  transported  to  every  place  wherein 
he  desireth  to  be.  The  celestial  doors  stand  [closed] 
for  thee  through  Anmutf.^  They  shall  not  open  to 
those  in  the  west,  they  shall  not  open  to  those  in  the 
east,  they  shall  not  open  to  those  in  the  north,  they 
shall  not  open  to  those  in  the  south,  they  shall  not  open 
to  those  in  the  middle  of  the  earth.  They  shall  open  to 
Horus,  he  worketh  them,  he  maketh  them  to  stand  [closed]. 
He  delivereth  them  from  every  deadly  thing  which  Set 
doeth  unto  them.  He  holdeth  thee  fast^  in  thy  name  of 
"  Ker[k]-shet."  He  conducteth  and  followeth  after  thee 
in  thy  name  of  "  Nut."  He  delivereth  thee  from  every 
deadly  thing  which  Set  doeth  unto  thee.  Nut  wel- 
cometh  (?),  welcometh  (?)  thee,  Keb  hath  decreed  thee 
to  be  welcomed  (?)  in  thy  name  of  "  Nut."  .  .  . 

Osiris  [Pepi],  thy  mother  Nut  spreadeth  herself  over 
thee  in  her  name  of  "  Shet-pet,"  she  causeth  thee  to 
exist  as  god  ;  no  enemy  is  to  thee  in  thy  name  of 
"god";  she  protecteth  thee  against  every  evil  thing  in 
her  name  of  "  Khnemet-urt."  Thou  art  the  greatest  of 
her  children.  Osiris  [Pepi],  thou  art  the  double  of  all 
the  gods.  Horus  toucheth  thee,  and  thou  becomest  his 
double. 

Hail,  Keb,  this  Osiris  [Pepi]^  is  the  son  of  Shu.    Thy 

^    1^^    ^    '^^        "   <^^X,-       ^  See  Mer-en-Ra,  1.  126. 

2    A    2 


352     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

mother  overfloweth  [with  love]  for  thee  in  thy  name  of 
*'  Keb."  Thou  art  the  first-born  son  of  Shu,  his  image. 
Hail,  Keb,  this  is  the  Osiris  [Pepi],  present  thou  to  him 
everything  which  belongeth  to  him.  Thou  art  the  great 
God,  the  One  alone.  Tem  hath  given  unto  thee  his 
heirship.  The  Company  of  the  gods  hath  given  unto 
thee  offerings,  and,  behold,  it  is  Tem  himself  who  pre- 
senteth  them  to  thee,  and  so  maketh  an  offering  to  his 
grandson  thyself!  He  looketh  at  thee  ;  thou  art  splendid, 
thy  heart  is  great.  Thou  art  glorious  in  thy  name  of 
"  Re-pan,"  the  hereditary  Chief  of  the  gods.  Thou 
standest  upon  the  earth.  Thou  dost  issue  thy  decrees 
of  doom  before  the  gods.  Thy  fathers  and  thy  mothers 
are  before  them.  Thou  art  the  strongest  of  all  the  gods. 
This  Osiris  cometh  to  thee,  defend  thou  him  against  his 
enemies.  Hail,  Keb  Re-pan,  Chief  of  the  gods,  the 
Osiris  [Pepi]  is  thy  son.  Make  thou  to  live  thy  son 
in  him.  Make  thou  strong  thy  son  in  him.  Thou  art 
the  Lord  of  the  earth  to  its  uttermost  limit.  Thou  art 
as  strong  as  the  Company  of  the  gods,  behold,  thou 
art  as  every  god.  Thou  art  strong,  remove  thou  every 
evil  thing  from  this  Osiris.  Delay  not,  come  thou  to 
him  in  thy  name  of  "  Horus,  whose  work  delayeth  not." 
Thou  art  the  Ka  of  all  the  gods.  Thou  bringest  them, 
thou  rearest  them,  thou  vivifiest  them  ;  vivify  thou  this 
Osiris.  Thou  art  God,  strong  as  all  the  gods.  The 
Eye  appeareth  from  thy  head  as  Urt-hekau  of  the 
South,  the  Eye  appeareth  from  thy  head  as  Urt-hekau 
of  the  North.^  Horus  followeth  thee,  he  loveth  thee. 
Thou  art  crowned  King  of  the  South  and  North,  strong 
as  all  the  gods  and  their  Doubles  also. 

Stand  up.  Give  thou  thy  hand  to  Horus,  he 
maketh  thee  to  stand  up,  Keb  smiteth  for  thee  thy 
mouth,  the  Great  Company  of  the  gods  "touch"  thee. 
They  place  Set  under  thee,  his  offerings  are  under  thee  ; 
they  protect  thee  from  him  when  he  spitteth  at  thee.  Nut 
boweth  down  over  her  son  in  thee,  she  protecteth  thee, 
she  uniteth  herself  to  thee,  she  embraceth  thee,  she 
raiseth  thee  up,  thou  art  the  greatest  among  her  children. 
Thy   two  sisters  come    to  thee — I  sis   and    Nephthys — 

|UUU^|  ^.^|UUU^<|^0, 1.129. 


Appendix  353 

they  retreat  from  the  place  where  thou  art.  Thy  sister 
Isis  stretcheth  out  her  hand  to  thee,  she  consoleth  (?)  thee 
— Kamt-urt — through  thy  name  of  Kamt-urt.  Thou 
encirclest  everything  with  thy  hand  in  thy  name  of 
"  Teben  Ha-nebu."^  Thou  art  mighty  through  thy  name 
of  "  Aa-sek."^  Horus  bringeth  Set  to  thee,  he  giveth  him 
to  thee,  he  (Set)  boweth  his  back  before  thee,  thy  strength 
(or,  valour)  is  greater  than  his.  Horus  maketh  thee  to 
encircle  with  thy  hand  all  the  gods  [i.e.,  all  the  gods  are 
in  the  hollow  of  thy  hand).  Horus  loveth  his  father  in 
thee,  he  permitteth  not  thee  to  be  injured.  Horus  is  not 
more  wonderful  than  thou,  he  avengeth  his  father  in  thee. 
Thou  livest  with  the  life  of  the  Beetle  (Khepera?),  thou 
art  firmly  established  in  Tetet  (Busiris).  Isis  and 
Nephthys  work  protection  by  magic  for  thee  in  the  city 
of  Saut,^  they  recognize  thee  as  their  lord  in  thy  name 
of  "  Neb-Saut,"  and  as  their  god  in  thy  name  of 
"  She-neter."  They  adore  thee;  depart  not  thou  from 
them.  Isis  cometh  to  thee  rejoicing  at  thy  love.  Thy 
seed  entereth  her,  she  becometh  heavy  with  childlike 
Sept  (Sothis).  Heru-Sept  cometh  forth  from  thee  in  his 
name  of  "  Horus  in  Septet."  Thou  shinest  in  him  in  his 
name  of  Khu-am-tchenteru.*  Horus  avengeth  thee 
through  his  name  "  Horus  the  son  who  avengeth  his 
father." 

The  Father  standeth  up,  and  this  Osiris  [Pepi] 
standeth  up.^  I  am  he,  thy  son.  I  am  Horus.  I  have 
come  to  thee  to  wash  thee,  to  purify  thee,  to  vivify  thee, 
to  knit  together  thy  bones,  to  collect  thy  humours,  to 
unite  thy  hacked  flesh.  Behold,  I  am  Horus  the  avenger 
of  his  father.  I  have  smitten  thee,  smitten  ;  I  have 
saved  thee,  O  father  Osiris,  from  the  hand  of  him  that 
would   do  thee  harm.      I    have  come  unto   thee  as  the 


J 


,  i.e.,  "Circuit  of  the  Lords  of  the 


North,"  (1.  142).  "  ^    1  -^=:^  7:XX.  ,  1.  14 

^  Mer-en-Ra,  1.  446  =  Pepi  II,  1.  1257. 


354     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

Envoy  of  Horus,  who  set  thee,  O  father  Osiris,  upon  the 
throne  of  Ra-Tem.  Thouguidest  the  Henmemet  Spirits. 
Thou  embarkest  in  the  Boat  of  Ra,  the  approach  of  which 
the  gods  love,  and  they  love  to  embark  therein.  In  it 
Ra  saileth  to  the  horizon,  [Pepi]  embarketh  therein  as 
doth  Ra.  Thou  sittest  on  the  throne  of  Ra,  thou  makest 
decrees  for  the  gods.  Thou  art  Ra  appearing  on  the 
horizon  ;  Ra  is  born  every  day,  and  [PepiJ  is  born  every 
day  like  Ra.  Thou  hast  taken  possession  of  the 
inheritance  of  thy  father  Keb  before  the  gods  in  Anu 
(Heliopolis),  the  Company  of  the  gods  consenting,  the 
great  and  mighty  Company  of  the  gods,  in  the  presence 
of  the  Souls  of  Anu.  And  those  two  great  and  mighty 
gods  who  are  over  Sekhet  Aru  set  thee  upon  the  throne 
of  Horus,  and  behold  it  is  they  who  place  Shu  on  thine 
east  side,  Tefnut  on  thy  west  side,  Nu  on  thy  south  side, 
and  Nenet^  on  thy  north  side.  And  they  lead  thee  to  their 
beautiful  and  pure  seats  (or,  places)  which  they  made 
[ready]  for  Ra  when  they  set  him  upon  their  thrones. 
They  make  thee  to  live  more  years  than  those  of  Heru- 
khuti,  when  they  made  for  him  the  name  of  "  Her- 
ar-neteru  "  (z'.(?.,  "higher  than  the  gods").  They  recite 
for  thee  this  chapter  as  they  do  for  Ra-Tem  as  he  shineth 
each  day.  They  set  thee  upon  their  thrones  at  the  head 
of  all  the  gods,  even  as  they  do  Ra  [when]  making  him 
to  take  his  seat.^  They  make  this  [Pepi]  to  be  like  Ra, 
through  his  name  of  "  Kheprer."^  Thou  advancest 
towards  them  as  doth  Ra  through  his  name  of  Ra,  and 
thou  retreatest  from  them  as  doth  Ra  through  his  name 
of  "Tem."  The  Two  Companies  of  the  gods  rejoice. 
Father,  at  their  meeting  thee,  O  father  Osiris  [Pepi],  and 
they  say,  "Come  to  us  ;  this  is  our  brother."  The  Two 
Companies  of  the  gods  say  to  Osiris  [Pepi],  "  Father 
Osiris  [Pepi],  come  to  us,  [thou  art]  one  of  us."  The 
Two  Companies  of  the  gods  say  to  thee,  "  Father  Osiris 
[Pepi],  come  to  us,  O  eldest  son  of  his  father."  The 
Two  Companies  of  the  gods  say  to  thee,  "  Father  Osiris 
[Pepi]  is  the  begetter  of  his  mother."  The  Two 
Companies  of  the  gods  say  to  thee,  "  Father  Osiris  [Pepi], 
"  come  thou  to   us,   O  thou  to  whom  thy  brother  Set 


W^-     1M1 


Appendix  355 

"  caused  death,"  The  Two  Companies  of  the  gods 
say,  "  Most  assuredly  Set  cannot  make  to  be  a  vain  thing- 
our  exalting  of  thee  for  ever,  O  father  Osiris  [Pepi]." 
The  Two  Companies  of  the  gods  say  to  thee,  "  Father 
"  Osiris  [Pepi],  thou  art  exalted  ;  Father  Osiris  [Pepi], 
"  thou  livest !  " 

The  Eye  of  Horus  is  set  on  the  pinion  of  his  brother 
Set  [when]  the  son  of  Tern  worketh  the  tackle  and 
maketh  the  boats  to  sail  together.  The  son  of  Tern 
shall  not  suffer  shipwreck.  This  [Pepi]  belongeth  to  the 
son  of  Tem,  the  son  of  Tem  shall  not  suffer  shipwreck 
(Mer-en-Ra,  1.  785). 

Hail,  thou  god  Ubnena,  who  revolvest,^  Kheprer, 
Kheprer,  thou  art  for  Pepi,  and  Pepi  is  for  thee.  Thy 
life  is  for  Pepi,  and  the  life  of  Pepi  is  for  thee.  Hail, 
Green  One,  proceeding  from  the  Green  Goddess 
(Uatchet),  thou  hast  proceeded  from  Pepi,  and  Pepi  hath 
proceeded  from  thee.  Pepi  is  strong  through  thy 
strength.  The  god  Hu^  is  at  noon  the  meat  and  drink 
of  Pepi,  Akeb^  is  [his]  food  in  the  evening,  the  food  of 
Pepi.  The  Hettut  apes  cannot  gain  the  mastery  over 
the  life  of  Pepi.  The  town  of  Sensent*  is  remote  from 
Pepi.  Pepi  liveth  on  thine  overflow,  Pepi  is  over- 
whelmed with  the  great  abundance  of  thy  food,  O  Ra, 
each  day.  O  Father  of  Pepi,  stand  up  !  Thou  hast 
received  thy  libations,  of  the  best  of  the  water  which 
Cometh  forth  from  Akh-khebit.  Those  who  are  in  their 
sepulchres  stand  up,  and  turn  over  your  ....  and 
measure  the  grain  before  thy  face  (?).  Thou  risest  on  thy 
left  side,  thou  art  strong  on  thy  right  side.  Lift  up  thy 
face  and  see  what  I  have  done  for  thee.  I,  thy  son, 
thine  heir,  have  trodden  (?)  the  barley,  and  ploughed  the 
wheat,  grain  for  the  Uak  festivals,  barley  for  thy  offerings 
of  spring  plants.  The  Eye  of  Horus  is  presented  unto 
thee,  it  groweth  old  before  thee,  it  departeth  before  thee. 
O  Lord  of  the  House,^  thy  hand  is  on  thy  possessions. 


35^     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

The^  doors  of  heaven  open,  the  doors  of  the  water- 
ways of  heaven  are  unclosed  before  the  gods  who  dwell 
in  Pe,  [when]  they  come  to  Osiris  Pepi,  at  the  sound  of 
the  weeping  of  I  sis,  at  the  noise  of  the  cry  of  Nephthys, 
at  the  wailing  of  these  two  Spirits  for  this  great  one, 
which  Cometh  forth  from  Tat  (Netat  ?).  Get  ye  gone, 
O  Souls  of  Pe.  They  beat  their  bodies  for  thee,  they 
smite  their  hands  together  for  thee,  they  pluck  out  their 
hairs  for  thee,  they  beat  their  thighs  for  thee,  and  they 
say  to  thee,  O  Osiris  Pepi:  "Advance,  come,  lie  down, 
awake  thou,  come  into  port,  thou  livest.  Stand  up  and 
behold  what  thy  son  hath  done  for  thee.  Awake,  and 
hearken  thou  to  what  thy  son  Horus  hath  done  for  thee. 
He  hath  smitten  for  thee,  smitten  the  Ox  (or,  Bull).  He 
hath  slain  for  thee,  slain  the  Sma  Bull.  He  hath  bound 
him  with  cords  for  thee,  he  hath  placed  him  under  thy 
great  daughter  dwelling  in  Ketem.  Lamentation  is 
ended  (?)  at  the  Aterti  (temples)  of  the  gods."  Osiris 
saith  to  Horus:  "The  evil  which  appertaineth  to  Pepi 
shall  exude  on  the  fourth  day,  he  shall  not  know  what 
hath  been  done  to  him  on  the  eighth  day."  Thou 
appearest  from  the  Lake  of  Life,  being  purified  in  the 
Lake  of  Qebh.  Thou  hast  become  like  Ap-uat.  Thy 
son  Horus  maketh  thee  advance.  He  hath  given  to 
thee  the  gods  who  are  thine  enemies,  Thoth  bringeth 
them  to  thee.  Happy  are  those  who  see.  Content  are 
those  who  behold,  who  see  Horus.  He  giveth  life  to 
his  divine  Father,  he  maketh  great  the  serenity  of  Osiris, 
as  Chief  of  the  gods  of  Amenti.  Isis  poureth  holy 
water  over  thee,  Nephthys  purifieth  thee.  Thy  two 
great  and  mighty  sisters  gather  together  thy  flesh,  they 
raise  up  thy  members,  they  make  thine  eyes  to  appear 
like  crowns  in  thy  head,  the  Semktet  Boat  and  the 
Mantchet  Boat.  Tem  is  griven  to  thee,  the  Two  Com- 
panies  of  the  gods  work  for  thee.  The  children  of  thy 
children^  lift  thee  up,  viz.,  Hep,  Amset,  Tuamutef,  and 
Oebhsenuf,  and  they  also  make  for  thee  their  names. 
They  wash  thy  face,  they  collect  (?)  thy  tears,  they  open 
thy  mouth  with  their  fingers  of  iron  (?).  Thou  appearest 
coming  forth  into  the   Hall  of  Tem,  thou  journeyest  to 

I  Pepi  II,  1.  759  ff. 
-  I.e.,  grand-children. 


Appendix  357 

the  Sekhet-Aaru,  thou  sailest  over  the  seats  of  the  great 
god.  Heaven  is  given  unto  thee,  earth  is  given  unto 
thee,  Sekhet-Aaru  is  given  unto  thee.  And  lo !  the  two 
great  gods  transport  thee,  Shu  and  Tefnut,  the  two  great 
gods  of  Anu.  Awake,  stand  up !  This  Spirit  came 
forth  from  Tat,  Osiris  Pepi  cometh  forth  from  Keb. 
Hail,  Pepi !  Thou  art  the  son  of  the  great  god.  Thou 
hast  been  purified  in  the  Lake  of  Tatta,  thou  hast  received 
thy  throne  in  Sekhet-Aaru. 

805.  Thy  water  is  to  thee,  thine  abundance  is  to  thee, 
thy  effluxes  are  to  thee,  coming  forth  from  Osiris.  Thou 
collectest  thy  bones,  thou  settest  in  place  thy  members, 
thou  puttest  in  order  the  fluids  in  thee,  thou  workest  thy 
cords.  The  hat  chamber  (tomb)  is  open  for  thee,  the 
doors  of  the  sarcophagus  are  drawn  asunder,  and  the 
gates  of  heaven  are  thrown  wide  open.  I  sis  welcometh 
thee,  Nephthys  said,  "In  Peace  "  {i.e.,  welcome).  They 
see  their  brother  at  the  festival  of  Tem.  These  libations, 
O  Osiris,  protect  thy  flesh  in  Kerkubaf.  Thy  soul  is 
within  thee.  Thy  Power  (sekhem)  is  nigh  thee,  thou  art 
stablished  as  the  Chief  of  thy  Powers.  Thou  art  lifted 
up,  Osiris  Pepi !  Thou  rushest  upon  the  Domains  of 
the  South,  thou  rushest  upon  the  Domains  of  the  North. 
Thou  hast  the  mastery  of  the  Powers  which  are  in  thee. 
Thou  makest  thy  spirits  jackals,  which  are  given  to  thee 
by  Horus  of  Nekhen.  Thou  art  raised  up,  O  Pepi,  sit 
thou  upon  thy  crystal  (?)  throne,  by  the  decree  of  Anpu, 
Chief  of  the  Divine  Hall.  Thou  art  purified  with  thy 
eight  libations,  [and]  eight  nemset  vases,  and  dabet  vases, 
which  came  forth  from  the  God-house.  God  therefore 
art  thou,  bearing  up  heaven  on  thy  shoulders,  and  sup- 
porting the  earth.  Smentet^  supplicateth  thee,  Ment-urt^ 
addresseth  thee.  Hands  are  turned  aside  for  thee, 
removed  i^)  for  thee  are  feet.  This  appearance  of  thine 
is  like  that  of  a  star,  the  Morning  Star.^  He  cometh  to 
thee,  his  Father,  he  cometh  to  thee,  Keb.  Take  his 
hand,  make  his  seat  to  be  on  the  Great  Throne.  He 
uniteth    with    the    two     Channels  (?)    of    Oebhu    (the 


1 1  /v\f\fjv\  Jr^  • 


35^     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

Sky).  His  mouth  is  purified  with  incense  and  natron 
on  the  thighs  of  Khent-Merti/  His  nails,  upper  and 
lower,  are  made  clean.  There  hath  been  done  for  him 
that  which  thou  didst  do  for  his  brother  Osiris  on  the 
day  of  counting  up  the  bones,  of  making  firm  sandals, 
and  of  sailing  over  Uart-urt.^ 

814.  The  great  one  boweth  over  his  side,  the  god 
standeth  up ;  his  power  is  with  him,  his  Ureret  Crown 
is  on  him.  Pepi  boweth  over  his  side,  the  god  Pepi 
standeth  up  ;  his  power  is  with  him,  his  Ureret  Crown 
is  on  him,  as  the  Ureret  Crown  is  [on]  Ra.  He  cometh 
forth  from  the  horizon,  and  ...  in  the  horizon  avengeth 
him.  Hail,  Pepi !  Thou  art  raised  up.  Thou  hast 
received  thy  seal  which  the  Two  Companies  of  the  gods 
made  for  thee.  Thou  art  on  the  throne,  in  the  seat  of 
Khenti  Amenti.  Thou  hast  received  his  power,  thou 
hast  received  his  Ureret  Crown.  Hail,  Pepi,  beautiful 
and  great  are  these  things  which  thy  father  Osiris  hath 
done  for  thee.  He  hath  oriven  thee  his  throne.  Thou 
makest  decrees  for  those  whose  places  are  hidden,  thou 
guidest  their  noble  ones,  and  all  the  Spirits  follow  thee 
according  to  their  names. 

Hail,  Pepi,  thy  heart  is  glad,  great  is  thy  breast,  thou 
shalt  never  cease  to  be  thus.  Ra  calleth  thee  by  thy 
name  ;  all  the  Spirits  fear  him.  Thou  slayest  their 
hearts  as  doth  Ra  when  he  cometh  forth  from  the 
horizon.  Hail,  thou  Pepi!  He  whose  form  is  hidden, 
that  is  Anubis,  [croucheth]  on  his  belly.  Thou  hast 
received  thy  face  of  a  jackal  ;  thou  art  raised  up,  stand 
upright !  Sit  for  thy  thousand  cakes,  thy  thousand 
vessels  of  beer,  thy  thousand  oxen,  thy  thousand  geese, 
and  thy  thousand  things  whereon  the  god  liveth  there. 
Hail,  Pepi,  thou  art  pure.  Ra  findeth  thee,  thou  standest 
with  my  mother  Nut,  she  guideth  thee  over  the  roads 
of  the  horizon.  Thou  passest  thy  day  happily  with  thy 
Ka  for  ever  and  ever. 

872.   Hail,  Ahmet !     Hail,  Setema  !^    Harm  not  Pepi, 

'  A  portion  of  the  celestial  river  or  ocean. 


Appendix  359 

injure  not  Pepi.  Strike  not  the  word  of  power  from  the 
hand  of  Pepi.  snatch  not  away  the  word  of  Pepi  from 
the  hand  of  Pepi.  Thy  word  of  power  is  to  Pepi,  the 
word  of  power  of  Pepi  is  to  him. 

950.  O  Mighty  Heaven,  give  the  hand  to  Pepi.  O 
Great  Sky,  give  the  hand  to  Pepi.  Pepi  is  thy  divine 
hawk.  Pepi  cometh,  he  appeareth  in  heaven,  he 
cleaveth  Oebhu  (i.e.,  the  sky).  Pepi  doeth  homage  to 
his  father  Ra,  he  ministereth  to  him  hke  Horus,  Pepi 
cometh  to  him.  Ra  maketh  Pepi  to  rise  a  new  being. 
He  estabhsheth  for  Pepi  his  two  eyes.^  Pepi  cometh 
before  him,  great  Hke  Horus  of  Nu,  with  the  lock  of 
hair,  he  smiteth  the  Crowns  ofthe  North,^  he  issueth 
decrees  to  the  Utennu.^  The  Afa  gods*  follow  in  the 
train  of  Pepi,  and  those  who  are  at  the  head  of  heaven 
and  earth  come  to  him  with  bowings  of  homage,  and  the 
Two  Uraei,  and  the  Jackals  and  the  Spirits,  and  the 
Set-gods,  upper  and  lower,^  act  as  guides  to  him. 
Anointed  with  perfume,  arrayed  in  pat,  and  living  on 
offerings,  Pepi  issueth  decrees,  putteth  the  Doubles 
under  a  yoke,  and  occupieth  the  thrones.  Pepi  giveth 
offerings,  Pepi  conducteth  ceremonies  of  offerings,  Pepi 
himself  is  the  One  of  heaven,  the  master  of  what  he 
doeth.  Chief  of  Nent.*^ 

953.  Homage  to  thee,  Pepi,  saith  Seker,  Wash  thy 
face,  saith  the  Great  Morning  Star  (?).'^  Pepi  swoopeth 
down  like  the  divine  hawk.  Pepi  entereth  the  water  like 
the  great  crane.  Pepi  maketh  a  noise  like  the  Smen 
goose.  The  pinions  of  Pepi  are  like  those  of  the  divine 
hawk,  and  the  tips  of  the  pinions  of  Pepi  are  like  those 
of  the  divine  hawk.  The  bones  of  Pepi  are  lifted  up  ; 
he  is  pure.  The  loin-cloth  of  Pepi  is  about  his  loins. 
The  gend  garment  is  on  his  shoulders,  and  his  girdle  is 
attached  to  his  tunic  (?).      Pepi  embarketh  with   Ra  in 


360     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

his  Great  Boat,  and  he  worketh  it  on  with  him  to  the 
horizon  to  issue  decrees  to  the  gods  therein.  Horus 
roweth  with  him  in  the  Great  Boat  to  the  horizon.  Pepi 
issueth  decrees  to  the  gods  therein  with  him  in  the 
horizon,  Pepi  is  one  of  them. 

955.  Behold  the  things  which  they  say  concerning 
Pepi,  what  the  gods  say  concerning  Pepi,  the  words 
which  the  gods  speak  concerning  Pepi :  "  This  is 
Horus  coming  out  of  Hep  (the  Nile).  This  is  the  Neka 
bull  coming  forth  from  the  walled  camp.  This  is  the 
serpent  which  cometh  forth  from  Ra.  This  is  the  uraeus 
which  cometh  forth  from  Set.  Everything  happeneth  for 
Pepi  even  as  it  happeneth  for  the  goddess  Metchetet-at,^ 
the  daughter  of  Ra,  who  is  on  the  knees  of  Ra.  Every- 
thing happeneth  for  Pepi  even  as  it  happeneth  for  the 
goddess  Metcha,-  the  daughter  of  Ra,  on  the  knees  of 
Ra.  Behold,  Pepi  is  the  god  Utcha,^  the  son  of  Utcha, 
the  issue  of  Utchat.^  Strong  is  Pepi,  strong  is  Pepi, 
strong  is  the  Eye  of  Horus  in  Anu.  Pepi  liveth,  Pepi 
liveth,  the  Eye  of  Horus  liveth  in  Anu.  Pepi  cometh 
forth  as  thou  comest  forth,  Osiris.  Pepi  speaketh  to  his 
Double  in  heaven.  The  bones  of  Pepi  are  crystal,  the 
flesh  of  Pepi  is  like  the  imperishable  stars. ^  If  Pepi  be 
set  there  the  Great  Goddess  boweth  herself  over  the  arms 
of  Pepi.  The  mother  of  Pepi  is  Nut.  The  father  01 
Pepi  is  Shu,  the  mother  of  Pepi  is  Tefnut,  they  raise 
Pepi  to  heaven  on  the  flame  of  incense.  Purified  is 
Pepi,  living  is  Pepi  ;  moreover,  he  maketh  his  seat  to 
be  Osiris.  Pepi  sitteth  on  thy  arm,  Osiris,  Pepi  spitteth 
on  thy  hair. 

959.  Pepi  is  one  of  those  four  [gods]  who  are  the 
children  of  Tem,  the  children  of  Nut.  They  do  not 
suffer  corruption,  Pepi  doth  not  suffer  corruption.  They 
decay  not,  Pepi  decayeth  not.  They  do  not  fall  to  the 
earth  from  heaven,  Pepi  doth  not  fall  to  the  earth  from 
heaven.     They  embrace  Pepi,  they  find  Pepi  with  them, 


Appendix  361 

Pepi  is  one  of  them,  a  favoured  one  of  the  Bull  of  Heaven, 
Pepi  raiseth  up  his  Ka,  maketh  [it]  turn  back,  maketh  [it] 
stay  [with  him].  O  beautiful  warder,  raise  up  the  Ka, 
make  [it]  turn  back,  make  [it]  stay  [with  him].  There- 
fore is  Pepi  stable  under  the  constellation  [called]  the 
"  Belly  of  the  Sky  "^  in  the  form  of  a  beautiful  star 
[shining]  over  the  bends  of  the  Lake  of  Kha.  Pepi 
Cometh  forth  into  the  sky,  thou  givest  to  Pepi  this 
Chapter,  he  is  happy  with  Ra  every  day.  Pepi  setteth 
himself  on  thy  way,  O  Heru-shest,^  along  which  thou 
guidest  the  gods  to  the  beautiful  ways  of  the  sky  [and] 
of  Sekhet-hetep. 

968.  The  water  of  life  cometh  into  heaven,  the  water 
of  life  cometh  on  the  earth.  The  sky  catcheth  fire 
before  thee,  the  earth  quaketh  before  thee,  at  the  hands 
of  the  Children  of  God.  The  two  mountains  are  cleft, 
the  god  appeareth,  and  the  god  hath  the  mastery  over 
his  own  body.  The  two  mountains  are  cleft,  Pepi 
appeareth,  and  Pepi  hath  the  mastery  over  his  own 
body.  Behold,  Pepi  breatheth  the  air.  His  feet  stand 
by  the  pure  water  which  is  with  Tem,  and  which  hath 
been  produced  by  the  phallus  of  Shu  and  the  body  of 
Tefnut,^  for  they  have  come  and  brought  to  thee  the 
pure  water  which  is  with  their  father  [Tem],  They 
purify  thee  [therewith].  They  cense  thee,  Pepi.  Thou 
liftest  up  the  sky  on  the  palm  of  thy  hand,  thou  placest 
the  earth  under  thy  sandal.  There  is  a  laver  of  the 
water  of  heaven  at  the  door  of  this  Pepi,  [wherein]  each 
god  washeth  [his]  face.  Thou  washest  thy  hands 
therein,  O  Osiris,  thou  washest  thy  hands  therein,  O 
Pepi,  and   thou  renewest   thy    youth,   the  third  god  (?), 

1  Compare  ^      ic  'wwvv  '•^-"^^  /\awva  ici^ici<icic , 


and  "^^'^  ,  t'.e.,  the  "House  of  the  Thirteen  Stars,"  or 

the  "  House  of  the  Eight  Stars,"  which  are  the  names  given  to  the 
29th  Dekan  in  one  of  the  Lists  published  by  Brugsch,  TAes.,  p.  146. 


CZS3I 


1,1.961. 


1. 970- 


362     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

Utchu-hetep.^  The  smell  of  the  things  of  the  uraeus 
cometh  to  Pepi,  as  do  the  pyramidal  loaf  in  Het-Seker 
and  the  thigh  in  the  House  of  Anpu.  Pepi  is  strong, 
the  shrine  standeth  ready,  the  month  is  born,  the  nome 
is  alive,  and  the  towing  cords  are  worked  ;  thou 
ploughest  for  wheat,  thou  ploughest  for  barley.  Gifts 
are  made  to  Pepi  there  for  ever, 

971.  Unguent  of  Horus  !  Unguent  of  Set!  Horus 
taketh  possession  of  his  Eye,  and  delivereth  it  from  his 
enemies  ;  Set  hath  not  been  able  to  keep  it  [from  him]. 
When  Horus  hath  filled  his  Eye  with  the  unguent  he  is 
content  with  (or,  resteth  on)  his  Eye  ;  he  is  provided 
with  his  .  .  .  .,  he  joineth  himself  to  it,  its  odour  is 
with  him.  Its  violent  wrath  falleth  upon  his  enemies. 
This  unguent  is  to  Pepi,  he  hath  filled  himself  therewith, 
he  hath  united  himself  thereto,  and  its  odour  is  on 
him  ;  its  violent  wrath  shall  fall  on  the  enemies  of  Pepi. 

974.  These  four  Divine  Kinsmen^  of  Pepi,  Amkest, 
Hep,  Tuamutef,  and  Qebhsenuf,  children  of  Horus  of 
Sekhem  (Letopolis),  stand  up,  and  they  bind  with  bands 
the  Ladder  of  Pepi,  and  they  make  permanent  the 
Ladder  of  Pepi,  and  they  make  Pepi  to  approach  the 
god  Kheprer,^  when  he  cometh  into  being  in  the  eastern 
sky.  The  god  Ashsamer  (?)*  hath  shaped  with  an  adze 
the  wood.  The  god  Kas...ut,^  the  Bull  of  Heaven,  hath 
fastened  firmly  with  knots  the  leathers  (?)  belonging  to 
it.  The  rungs  have  been  firmly  fixed  in  the  sides  by 
means  of  the  [leather  made  of]  the  skin  of  the  god  .  .  .  .® 
born  of  the  goddess  Hesat.'''  The  goddess  Sepeh-urt^ 
maketh  it  to  be  set  up  by  a  band  under  it.  The  Ka  of 
Pepi  is  raised  up  [by  this  Ladder]  to  the  god,  and  he  is 
taken   to  the  g-od  Ruruta^  who  leadeth  him  forward  to 


Appendix  363  \ 

j 
Tern.      Tern  hath  done  what  he  said  he  would  do  for  I 

Pepi  ;  he  hath  tied  bands  for  him  about  the  Ladder,  and  j 

he  hath  made  it  strong  for  Pepi.      This  Pepi  is  remote  I 

from  that  which  is  an  abomination  to  men,  and  he  shall  ' 

not  handle  that  which  is  an  abomination  to  the  gods,  he 

shall  not  eat  that  which  is he  shall  not  lie  down 

[in  death  ?]  in  the  night,  he  shall  not  keep  vigil.      He  is 

not  without  his  body  like  one   of  the  two  growths  (.'*)  of  j 

Kheprer.       The  bodies  of  those  who   are    in   Tat   are 

reckoned  up,  and   their  ears  are  open   to  the  voice  of 

Pepi.      He  goeth  down  among  them,  reciting  the  decree 

of  Sekhmef  (.^).     The  existence  of  Pepi  is  like  that  of  one  ] 

who   is  among  them.      The  staff  (?)  of  Pepi  is  among 

them  like  the  god  of  the  Great  Staff,^  making  his  advance 

to  Am-urt.     The  seal  of  Pepi  is  in  the  House  of  Ruruta. 

The  god  who  obliterateth  sin,    Ater-asfet,^  obliterateth 

the  transgressions  which  belong  to  Pepi  in  the  presence 

of  Khenti-merti  in  Sekhem.^ 


ADDITIONAL    NOTES 

1.  The  Creation. — The  Bushongo  legend  is  as 
follows  : — In  the  beginning  there  was  nothing  but 
darkness,  and  on  the  earth  there  was  nothing  but 
water ;  in  this  chaos  Bumba,  the  Chembe  (God,  =  the 
Egyptian  Tern),  reigned  alone.  Bumba  had  the  form 
of  a  huge  man,  and  his  colour  was  white.  One  day, 
owing  to  pains  in  his  stomach,  he  vomited,  and  the  sun, 
moon,  and  stars  were  the  result.  The  water  ran  off  the 
sand  and  left  it  dry,  but  there  was  neither  vegetation 
nor  animal  life  upon  it.  Bumba  again  vomited  and 
brought  up  :  i.  The  leopard,  Koy  Bumba  ;  2.  The 
crested  eagle,  Ponga  Bumba  ;  3.  The  crocodile,  Ganda 
Bumba  ;  4.  A  little  fish,  Yo  Bumba  ;  5.  The  tortoise, 
Kono  Bumba  ;  6.  The  thunderbolt  (a  black  animal  like 
a  leopard),  Tsetse  Bumba  ;  7.  A  white  heron,  Nyanyi 
Bumba ;  8.  A  scarab  ;  9.  A  goat.  He  afterwards 
vomited  men,  but  there  was  only  one  of  them  white 
like  himself,  and  he  called  him  Loko  Yima.  The 
creatures  mentioned  above  produced  all  the  other 
creatures  which  filled  the  world.  Nyonye  Ngana,  a 
son  of  Bumba,  vomited  the  white  ants,  and  died. 
Another  son,  Chonganda,  vomited  a  plant  which  was 
the  parent  of  all  vegetation,  and  a  third  son  vomited 
kites,  but  nothing  else.  King  Bumba  made  Loko  Yima 
"  god  upon  earth  "  (Chembe  Kunji),  and  then  ascended 
into  heaven.  Torday  and  Joyce,  Notes  Ethnographiques, 
p.  21. 

2.  The  Soul. — The  Bambala  think  that  man  is 
composed  of  four  elements  :  Lo,  the  body  ;  Ilo,  the 
double  (Ka)  ;  N'shanga,  the  soul  ;  and  Lume-Lume, 
the  shadow.  The  Bushongo  also  think  that  man  is  com- 
posed of  four  elements  :  Modyo,  the  body  ;  Mophuphu, 
the  soul;  Ido,  the  double  (Ka) ;  and  Edidingi,  the 
shadow.  Torday  and  Joyce,  Notes  EtJutographiques^ 
p.    124. 

3.  The  Amulet  of  "  Life,"  -t*. — It  has  already 
been  shown  in  this  book  that  two  of  the  most  important 


Additional  Notes  365 


amulets   of  the    Egyptians,   n  and  m,   represent   the  os 

sacrtim  of  Osiris,  and  the  uterus  and  its  ligatures  and 
vagina  of  I  sis.  They  symbolized  the  vital  power  of 
Osiris  and  Isis,  procreation,  new  birth,  fecundity,  and 
resurrection.  Hence  we  find  them,  with  appropriate 
formulae,  in  the   Book  of  the   Dead,  and  on  coffins  we 

see   frequently  one    hand   grasping  u  and  the  other 


i.e.,  the  fetishes  which  held  the  spirits  of  life-power  of 
Osiris  and  Isis.     There  is,  however,  another  amulet,  i.e., 

•¥•,  which  has,  up  to  the  present,  defied  all  explanation. 

That  it  was  of  vital  importance  to  the  living  and  the 
dead  is  proved  by  its  frequent  occurrence  on  the  monu- 
ments and  in  papyri.  About  its  meaning  "  life  "  there 
is  no  doubt,  but  the  identity  of  the  object  is  difficult  to 

discover.      Now  as  the  Tet,  w,  represents  the  os  sacrum 

of  Osiris,  and  the  thet,  J|,  represents  the  uterus  and  vagina 

of   Isis,    it   is    only   natural    to    think    that    the    sign   ■¥* 

also  represents  some  part  or  organ  of  the  body  either 
of  Osiris  or   Isis,  and    preferably  some  member  of  the 

body   of   Isis.       As  -V-  is    intimately    connected    in    the 

vignette  of  Chapter  XVI  of  the  Book  of  the  Dead  with 
the  rising  sun,  and  was  presented  to  Isis  by  Amen-Ra 
(see  Vol.  I,  p.  301),  when  she  was  giving  birth  to  Horus, 
it  is  clearly  associated  with  new  life  and  childbirth  and, 
one  would  think,  with  the  womb  of  Isis,  or  with  some- 
thing in  it  which  was  connected  closely  with  the  growth 
of  the  foetus.  Reference  has  already  been  made  to  the 
importance  attached  to  the  umbilical  cord  by  modern 
Sudani  peoples  (for  the  passages,  see  the  Index),  and 
to  the  disposal  of  the  placenta,  and  analogy  suggests 
that  the  primitive  Egyptians  attached  as  much  import- 
ance to  these  objects  as  to  the  uterus  itself.  I  discussed 
the   matter  with    Dr.  W.   L.   Nash,  and  he   informs   me 

that  the  sign  •¥•  may  well  be  a  conventional  representa- 
tion of  the  placenta  and  umbilical  cord  as  they  appear 
after  they  have  left  the  body,  the  oval  loop  of  the  sign 

VOL.   II.  2    B 


366     Osiris  and  the  Egyptian  Resurrection 

being  intended  for  the  placenta,  the  projections  at  the 
side  for  Hgatures,  and  the  straight  Hne  below  for  the 
umbilical  cord.  The  placenta  and  the  umbilical  cord 
taken   together  would  make  a  very  powerful   fetish,  of 

the  same  character  as  u  and  m,  and  I  believe  them  to 

be  the  objects  represented  by  the  sign  ■¥•,  or  "life."     If 

this  be  so,   h,  J  and  ■¥■  were  fetishes,  in  the  truest  sense 

of  the  word,  of  the  same  class.  Since  writing  the  above, 
Messrs.  Seligmann  and  Murray  have  published  a  paper 
in  Man,  Vol.  XI,  No.  8,  p.  ii3ff.,  in  which  they  attempt 

to  show  that  the  sign  v  also  represents  the  uterus  of 

I  sis,  and  hence  was  associated  with  childbirth.      If  this 

be  so,  the  ancient  Egyptian  ideas  connected  with  m,  •¥• 

and  Y  were  all  transferred  by  the  Christian  Egyptians 

to  the  Cross. 


INDEX 


Aaat,  Aaata,  a  staff,  II,  322,  325. 

Aabet  vases,  II,  357. 

Aah,  Moon-god,  I,  389  ;  II,  62. 

Aahes,  god,  I,  76;  II,  311. 

Aakhu  (Spirit-soul),  II,  132,  315. 

Aal  (see  also  Aar),  field  of,  I,  97. 

Aamu,  II,  163. 

Aar,  I,  71. 

Aar,  Aaru,  field  of,  I,  97,  126  ;  II, 

338. 
Aaru,  lake  of,  I,  129. 
Aaru,  marshes  of,  I,  103. 
Aa-sek,  II,  353. 
Aasu,  I,  145. 
Aat   (domain)    of    Horus,   I,   98 ; 

of  Kheper-Ra,  I,  44;  of  Osiris 

and  Set,  I,  98. 
Aats  (domains)  of  Horus  and  Set, 

II,  160,  307. 
Aats,  the  Fourteen,  II,  160. 
Aats,  the  Fifteen,  I,  99. 
Aata,  II,  308. 
Aati,  I,  341. 
Aat-tcha-Mut,  II,  54. 
Ab,  I,  58. 
Ab  flowers,  II,  326. 
Ab  (heart),  II,  130,  137. 
Ab,  Aba,    sceptre,    II,   319,   325, 

_  35°- 

Aba,  an  official,  I,  307. 
Aba-aner,  II,  178,  214. 
Ababua,  I,  375;  II,  89,  no,  242. 
Ababua  Babati,  I,  326. 
Abaka,  I,  226. 

Abambo,  I,  298,  365;  II,  152, 
Abarambo,  I,  179  ;  II,  88. 


'Abd  al-Latif,  quoted,  I,  177,  195  ; 

11,93- 

Abiala,  goddess,  I,  295. 

Abok,  I,  375. 

Abomey,  I,  227  ;  II,  243. 

Abonsum,  I,  371. 

Absolutism  of  king,  II,  161. 

Abstinence,  II,  176. 

Abt  vessels,  the  four,  II,  332. 

Abtu  (Abydos),  I,  53,  67,  149, 
153;  II,  66. 

Abtu  (victims),  I,  220. 

Abu  (Elephantine),  II,  319. 

Abfi  Beshr,  I,  286. 

Ab(i  Dom,  I,  247. 

Abu  Tamara,  I,  285. 

Abukaya,  I,  226. 

Abut  sceptres,  I,  166. 

Abydos,  town  of,  I,  31,  34,  37,  39r 
46,  53>  66,  67,  81,  149,  153, 
^59,  197,  212,  214,  254,  279, 
290,  354,  379;  II,  1-4,  8,  18, 
44,   57,   69,   75,  83,    156,    157, 

270,  313,  331- 
Abydos,  canal  of,  II,  12. 
Abydos,  ceremonies  of   Osiris  at,. 

I,  289. 
Abydos,  relic  chamber  of,  II,  13. 
Abydos,  Tet  of,  I,  6. 
Abydos,  well  of,  II,  12. 
Abyssinia,    I,   30,   362  ;     II,    68,, 

223,  270. 
Abyssinian  burial,  II,  114. 
Acaju  plant,  II,  104. 
Acanthus,  grove  of,  II,  13. 
Accra,  II,  223. 

2    B    2 


368 


Index 


Acholi,  II,  257. 

Accuser-general,  II,  305, 

Ad-Damer,  I,  128. 

Adimoko,  I,  236. 

Adonis,  II,  285. 

Adultery,    I,    286,    341  ;    II,    95, 

17S. 
Adultery  with  spirits,  II,  225. 
Adumas,  I,  173. 
Aegean  Sea,  II,  296. 
Aelian,  quoted,  I,  397. 
Af,  the  flesh  of  Ra,  II,  15. 
Afa,  I,  367. 

Afa-gods,  I,  145  ;  II,  359. 
Affifi,  II,  221. 

Africa,  Equatorial,   ancestral  wor- 
ship in,  I,  298. 
Africa,  German  East,  I,  187. 
Africa,  Portuguese  South-East,  I, 

187. 
Afterbirth,  II,  95. 
Aganju,  I,  373. 
Agasum,  I,  367. 
Age,  veneration  for,  I,  298. 
Aged,      respect      for      the,      II, 

216. 
Agows,  II,  223. 
Agranhohwe,  II,  92. 
Agriculture,  I,  10,  19. 
Agriculture-god,  I,  373. 
Agyrium,  I,  9. 
Aha,  II,  313. 
Ahantas,  II,  122. 
Ahau  bird  (crane?),    I,    160;  II, 
_  328. 

Ahi  (Osiris),  I,  342 ;  II,  60. 
Ahmad,  II,  139. 
Ahmet,  II,  358. 
Ahorsu  Yemabu,  II,  243. 
Ahu,  god,  I,  102. 
Aiser,  II,  185. 
Air  of  Isis,  I,  103. 
Air,  lord  of,  I,  345. 


Airs,  musical,  in  4-time  and  5-time, 

I,  391- 
Air-god,  I,  135,  373. 
Ai-Yak,  I,  375. 
Ajak  Wad  Deng,  II,  154. 
Ajana  (spirits),  I,  363. 
Ajaruma,  I,  367. 
Aje  Shaluga,  I,  373. 
Akad,  I,  141. 
A-Kahle,  I,  180. 
Akeb,  II,  355. 
Akeb-ur,  I,  131. 
Akeba,  I,  127. 
Akenha,  I,  122. 

Aker,  god,  I,  141,  183  ;  II,  349. 
Aker,  gates  of,  II,  313. 
Akertet,  II,  44. 
Akert,  II,  67,  68. 
Akeru  gods,  I,  119. 
Akeset  (see  Amkeset),  I,  3. 
Akhemit,  I,  128. 
Akhemut,  II,  320. 
Akhemu  seku  stars,  II,  250. 
Akhemu  urtchu  stars,  II,  250, 
Akhet,  a  season  of  the  Egyptian 
year,  II,  44,  46,  60. 

Akhet-utet,  goddess,  I,  152. 

Akh-khebit,  II,  327,  355. 

Akikuyu,  II,  163,  164. 

Akka,  I,  236  ;  II,  221. 

Akpweho,  II,  243. 

Aku-ta,  I,  166  ;  II,  307. 

Akwazhu,  II,  243. 

Ala,  I,  374. 

Alabaster  amulets,  II,  39. 

Alapay,  I,  392. 

Al-barad,  I,  285. 

Albertine  Rift  Valley,  I,  325. 

Alexander,  Boyd,  II,  132,  209. 

Alexander  the  Great,  II,  181. 

Algeria,  I,  321. 

Aliab,  I,  181. 

Alidida,  I,  374. 


Index 


369 


Al-Khargah,  I,  98;  II,  227. 
Alldridge,    Mr.,    I,    184;    II,  80, 

221,  237,  252. 
Allah,  I,  24  ;  II,  193. 
Allegiance,  II,  162. 
Aloes,  fibre  of,  II,  96. 
Altar,    transmutation   of  offerings 

on,    I,    264 ;    altar   for   human 

sacrifice  at  Abydos,  I,  210. 
Altars,  importance  of,  I,  266  ;  of 

Isis,  II,  294.;  of  mud,  I,  296. 
Aluki,  II,  261. 
Alulu  burial,  II,  103. 
Alunda,  I,  320,  326. 
Am,  town  of,  II,  275. 
Am,  god,  II,  328. 
Am-aa,  II,  344. 
Am-An,  I,  108. 
Am-Antchet,  I,  108. 
Amadah,  I,  198. 
Amahet,  II,  58. 
Amara,  I,  402. 
Amasis,  I,  shabti  of,  I,  214. 
Amazons,  I,  241. 
Am-besek,  I,  341. 
Amelineau,  E.,  I,   197,  309,  351  ; 
_  II,  8,  9,  13,  83,  84. 
Amen,   the   god,    I,   3,   122,   198, 

254,  453;  II,  74,  161,  181, 
263  ;  throne  of,  II,  348. 

Amen  amulet,  II,  37. 

Amen,  at  end  of  formula,  II,  203. 

Amen,  a  Frog-god,  I,  280. 

Amen-kau,  II,  336. 

Amen-Ra,  of  Thebes,   I,  63,  250, 

255.  302,  303,  353,  358,  360, 
397;  II,  19,  178;  annual  en- 
dowment of  his  temple,  I,  255. 

Amen-Ra  of  Napata,  II,  244. 
Amen-Ra  Ka-mut-f,  I,  289. 
Amen-em-ap,  II,  97. 
Amen-em-hat  III,  I,  38,  209,  288  ; 
11,4. 


Amen-hetep  I,  I,  40. 
Amen-hetep    II,     II,     198,    224; 

shabti  of,  I,  214. 
Amen-hetep  III,  I,  39 ;  II,  9,  10, 

15,  224;    his  Ka,  II,  119;   his 

tail,  II,   207. 
Amen-hetep,  an  official,  I,  220. 
Amen-hetep,  papyrus  of,  I,  34. 
Amenit  (Isis),  II,  278. 
Amenit,  a   strangled  priestess,   I, 

224. 
Amennaankaentekshare,  II,  174. 
Amennu,  II,  317. 
Ament,  I,  114,  125,  162,  341. 
Ament,  secret  circles  of,  II,  157. 
Amenti,  I,  203;    II,  4,   144;    II, 

_  356. 

Amenti,  a  goddess,  I,  43. 
Aaienti,  forehead  of,  II,  210. 
Amenti,  lords  of,  I,  319. 
Amenti,  mountain  of,  I,  45. 
Amentet,    I,   335,    346,  347;    II, 
II,  68,  176,  180,  279  ;  goddess, 

I,  44- 
Amentet,  bull  of,  I,  399. 
Amentet,  festival  of,  II,  16. 
America,     Central,    fight    for,    I, 

192. 
Ames   sceptre,  I,    113,    162;    II, 

322, 
Am-hent-f,  II,  343. 
Am-Hetch-par,  I,  108. 
Am  Het-Serqet,  I,  108. 
Am  Het-ur-Ra,  I,  108. 
Ami-hem-f,  II,  236. 
Amin,  II,   204. 
Amina,  I,   364. 
Amit  fire,  II,  52. 
Amkeset  (or,  Amset),  I,  131  ;  II, 

362. 
Am-khaibitu,  I,  340. 
Ammehet,  I,  346. 
Am-mit,  I,  318,  328,  385. 


370 


Index 


Amnion,  II,  182. 

Am-nu-meru,  I,  108. 

Amon,  I,  359. 

Amosis,  I,  212. 

Am-apt,  womb  of,  I,  130. 

Am-ast-a  gods,  I,  120. 

Am-rehau,  god,  I,  120. 

Am-Sah,  I,  108. 

Am  Seh-neter,  I,  108. 

Am-sen-f,  I,  341. 

Am-sep-f,  II,  343- 

Amset,  I,  131,  135;  II,  317,  328. 

Amsu  sceptre,  II,  337. 

Am-Tep,  I,  108. 

Am-Tuat,    Book    of,    I,    22,    58, 

204. 
Am-Uart,  II,  344. 
Am-Uatch-ur,  II,  346. 
Amulet  of  "life,"  I,  155. 
Amulets,    use    of,    II,   175,  200; 

Abyssinian,    I,    270 ;     African, 

list  of,  I,  283  ;  of  Osiris,  II,  34. 
Amulets,   the    P'ourteen,    II,    25, 

29. 
Amulets,  the  Seventy-five,  I,  282. 
Amulets,  the  104,  II,  35. 
Amulets,  sexual,  I,  286. 
Amulets,  wearing  of,  a  form  of  wor- 
_  ship,  I,  247,  273. 
Am-Unu-Meht,  I,  108, 
Am-Unu-Resu,  I,  108. 
Am-urt,  II,  363. 
Amu-urt,  I,  130. 
Amyot,  I,  2. 
An,  Heliopolis,  On,  I,  77,  89,  90, 

91,  no,  115,  137,  389;  II,  64, 

etc. 
An,  souls  of,  I,  123. 
An,  a  god,  II,  55,  60,  62,  68. 
An-aarrut-f,  II,  56. 
An-a-f,  I,  342. 
Ancestor  images,    I,  365  ;  spirits, 

II,  161,  169. 


Ancestor  worship,    I,     291,    365, 

374;  II,   197;  character  of,   I, 

297. 
Ancestor-god,  I,  30. 
Ancestors,  I,  220;  II,  315. 
Ancestors,    cult    of,    I,     275;  of 

Morning  Star,  I,    104,  146 ;  of 

Ra,  I,  112. 
Ancient  One  =  God,  I,  368. 
Anderson,  Mr.  R.  G.,  II,  22,  192, 

204,  238,  285. 
Andoni  burial,  II,  104. 
Andorobo,  I,  402. 
Andros,  Isle  of,  II,  289. 
Anep,  II,  64. 

Anes  apparel,  I,  112  ;  II,  342. 
Angareb,  II,  84. 
Angels,  I,  368. 
Anger,  sin  of,  I,  341. 
Angicas,  I,  178;  II,  265. 
Angle  amulets,  II,  39. 
Angola,  II,  221. 
Anguru,  I,  268. 
Anhai,  papyrus  of,  I,  19,  44,  319, 

324,  331  ;  II,  97. 
An-Her,  I,  354;  II,  2,  174. 
An-hetep-f,  I,  342. 
Ani,  maxims  of,  I,  351  ;  II,  214. 
Ani  the  scribe,  hymn  of,  II,  66  ; 

papyrus  of,   I,  40,   41,    51,   57, 

204,  276,   299,    310,  318,  324, 

388;  II,  97,  126,  167. 
Ani,  Tree-god,  II,  261. 
Animal -gods,  I,  22. 
Animal-spirit,  I,  28. 
Animal  worship,  II,  196. 
Animals,    sacred,   incarnations    of 

gods  and  spirits,  I,  274, 
Anina,  II,  152 
Ankef,  I,  288. 
Antch,  II,  344. 
Ankh  amulet,  II,  182,  199. 
Ankham  flowers,  I,  276. 


Index 


371 


Ankh-ari,  II,  212. 

Ankhet-Taui,  II,  324. 

Ankh-f-en  Khensu,  I,  43,  220. 

Ankh-p-khart,  II,  248. 

Ankles  of  Osiris,  I,  387. 

Anklets,  I,  237,  252,  284. 

Ankole,  II,  151;  forest  of,  II, 
163. 

An-mut-f,  II,  351. 

Annual  Customs,  I,  229;  II,  266. 

Anointing,  I,  261. 

Anpu  (Anubis),  I,  30,  102,  104, 
106,  153,  155,  161,  247,  265, 
289;    II,    46,    171,    313,    323, 

331.  332,  348,  35o>  357.  362. 
Anpu  Khent  Amenti,  I,  148. 
Anpu  Khent-neter-seh,  II,  332. 
Anpu-tep-tu,  II,  349. 
Anpu,  a  man,  I,  65  ;  II,  214. 
Anrahakathasatitaui,  II,  174. 
Anrauaaqersaanqrebathi,  II,  174. 
An-rut-f,  II,  12,  69. 
Ant  (Denderah),  II,  22. 
Ant,  II,  346. 
Ants,  white  and  various  kinds,  II, 

106,  236. 
Antaf,  I,  122. 
Antat,  goddess,  I,  289. 
Antcha,  I,  71,  136. 
An-tcher-f.  II,  339,  340. 
Antchet,  II,  324. 
Antelope,  I,  185  ;  II,  188. 
Antes,  II,  68. 
Anthony,  Saint,  II,  135. 
Anthropomorphism,  I,  359. 
Anthropophagy,  II,  192. 
Anti,  I,  224;  II,  54,  58. 
Anti  unguent,  I,  341  ;  II,  177. 
Antiu,  smashing  of,  I,  200. 
Antidote,  II,  232. 
Antimony,  I,  390;  II,  177. 
Antu  boat,  II,  327. 
Anu  (Heliopolis),  I,  126,  141,  143, 


146,  154,  155,  158,  160,  161, 
166,  202,  220,  340,  341  ;  II,  12, 
54,  67,  75,  91,  117,  312,  314, 
316,  318,  326,  329,  346,  357. 

Anu,  souls  of,  I,  130. 

Anu,  Ten  Great  Ones  of,  I,  158. 

An-uatchet,  I,  153. 

Anubis,  I,  11,  14,  22,  30,  42,  56, 
61,  104,  154,  197,  206,  280,  305, 
319,  327,  328,  332,  333,  350, 
373;  II,  2,  33,42,  43,  46,  172, 
176,    t8o,    213,    286,   290,   294, 

297,  305,  322,  347- 

Anubis  the  physician,  II,  278,  279. 

Anubis-gods,  I,  81. 

Anyambe,  I,  369. 

Anyambia,  I,  365. 

Anyambie,  I,  368,  369. 

Apa  tree,  II,  261. 

Ape,  apes,  I,  327  ;  II,  355. 

Ape  and  scales,  I,  316. 

Ape-god,  I,  231. 

Apes,  anthropoid,  I,  331. 

Apes,  the  Four,  I,  329,  337,  346. 

Apellen,  II,  240. 

Apep,  I,  64,  65,  91  ;  II,  26,  174, 
203,  236,  241  ;  caused  thunder, 
II,  239 ;  drank  up  the  Nile, 
II,  157  ;  wax  figures  of,  II,  178. 

Aper,  II,  17. 

Apesh-ta-pet,  planet,  I,  117. 

Aphrodisiac,  I,  128,  285. 

Aphrodite,  I,  9  ;  II,  287. 

Aphroditopolis,  II,  56,  350. 

Api,  goddess,  I,  118. 

Apingi,  II,  225. 

Apis,  I,  12,  20,  60,  350,  354,  397, 
398 ;  II,   305  ;  town  of,   II,  29, 

33,  56. 
ApoUinopolis,  II,  54. 
Apollo,  god,  I,  9  ;  II,  13. 
Apollo  =  Horus,  I,  11,  231 
Apollo,  monk,  II,  182. 


372 


Index 


Apollodorus,  I,  210. 

Apostles,  I,  354. 

Apparel  of  Osiris,  II,  5. 

Apron,  II,  208. 

Apshait,  II,  171. 

Ap-shet-pet,  II,  341. 

Aptet  (Ombos),  II,  55. 

Apts,  II,  74. 

Apt-uat,  I,  139. 

Apu  (Panopolis),  II,  55. 

Ap-uat,  I,  77,  103,  123,  166,  197, 
247,  288,  289 ;  II,  5,  6,  159, 
312,  316,   331,  333,  337,  340, 

_  356- 

Ap-uat  gods,  II,  2. 
Apuleius  quoted,  II,  287, 
Aqa,  I,  103;  II,  312. 
Aq-er-pet  (ladder),  II,  339. 
Aqert,  I,  43,  142  ;  II,  56. 
Aqeru,  I,  142  ;  II,  256. 
Ara  =  thunderclap,  I,  373. 
Arab,    Arabs,    I,    192,    298,    391  ; 

II,  159,  209. 
Arab  burial,  II,  113. 
Arabia,  I,   11,321;  II,   222,  280, 

285. 
Arabia  Felix,  I,  10. 
Archangels,  I,  368. 
Arek,  II,  317. 
Argos,  II,  286. 
Argus,  II,  295. 
Ari-em-ab-f,  I,  342, 
Arii,  II,  288. 

Arithmetic  invented,  I,  10. 
Aristocracy  ofTuat,  II,  160. 
Aristotle,  II,  237, 
Ari  Umker,  I,  376. 
Armant,  II,  239. 
Arms  of  Horus  destroyed,  I,  62. 
Army  of  Osiris,  I,  11. 
Arnold,  Mr.  C,  II,  159. 
Arnot,  Dr.,  II,  187. 
Aro  sacrifice,  I,  227. 


Arrogance,  I,  342. 

Arrows  of  death,  II,  37  ;  poisoned, 

I,  180;  shot  at  funeral,  II,  86. 
Arsinoe,  Crocodilopolis,  II,  239. 
Aru  country,  I,  146, 
Aruwimi,    I,    292 ;    II,    141,    191, 

257  ;  burial,  II,  109. 
A-Sande,  II,  222. 
Asar  (Osiris),  I,  24,  27,  67. 
Asar-Aah,  I,  21. 
Asar-Ankhti,  II,  16. 
Asar-bati-Erpit,  II,  16. 
Asar-Hep  (Sarapis),  I,  60,  61  ;  II, 

272. 
Asar-Hepi,  I,  398. 
Asar-her-ab-Set,  II,  16. 
Asar-Khenti-Amenti,  II,  15. 
Asar  Khenti  Peku,  II,  16. 
Asar  Khenti  peru,  II,  16. 
Asar  Khenti  Restau,  II,  16. 
Asar  Khenti  Un,  II,  t6. 
Asar  neb-ankh,  II,  16. 
Asar  Neb-er-tcher,  II,  16. 
Asar  nub-heh,  II,  16. 
Asar  Ptah-neb-ankh,  II,  16. 
Asar-Saa,  II,  16. 
Asar-Sah,  II,  16. 
Asar  Taiti,  II,  17. 
Asar  Un-nefer,  II,  16. 
As-ari,  I,  24,  27. 
Asen,  I,  300. 
Asert-tree,  i,  103. 
Ashanti,    I,    181,   222,    227,    228, 

229,  372;  II,  92,  266. 
Ashem,  I,  121. 
Ashiga  (net  hunting),  II,  242. 
Ashsamer,  god,  II,  362. 
Ashtoreth,  I,  5  ;  II,  285. 
Asia  Minor,  II,  285. 
Asinius  Marcellus,  II,  304. 
Asista,  I,  382  ;  II,  186. 
Asken,  II,  313,  323. 
Aso,  Queen,  I,  3. 


Index 


373 


Asorin,  II,  261. 
Asp  of  Cleopatra,  II,  234. 
Aspelta,  II,  216,  244. 
Asphynis,  II,  54. 
Ass  speaks,  I,  345. 
Ass-headed  man,  I,  46. 
Assa,  I,  232,  233,  380. 
Assessors,  the  Forty-two,   I,  316; 

II,  173,  180. 
Asramanfo    (souls),    I,    297  ;    II, 

124. 
Ast  =  Isis,  I,  25. 
Ast  (Isis),  II,  372. 
Astarte,  I,  5. 
Asthma,  II,  211. 
Astrolabe,  II,  181. 
Astrology,  II,  181. 
Astronomy,  I,  10;  II,  250. 
Asubo,  I,  194. 
Aswan,  I,  236. 
Atareamteherqemturennuparsheta, 

II,  174. 
Atef  crown,  I,  50,  320;  II,  72. 
Atem,  I,  389 ;  II,  62. 
Atem-Khepera,  II,  54. 
Aten  (disk  of  sun),  II,  289  ;  cult 

of,  II,  201. 
Ater,  II,  17. 
Ater-asfet,  god,  II,  363. 
Atert,  I,  84  ;  Atert-gods,  II,  349. 
Aterti,  the  two,  I,  146,   149,  161; 

II)   65,  330;  of   the  south,  II, 

72. 
Atet  boat,  II,  74. 
Atetie,  I,  363. 
Atfa-ur,  I,  27,  137. 
Atheism,  I,  364. 
Athenians,  II,  288. 
Athens,  II,  285. 
Athribis,  II,  57. 
Ati,  I,  341  ;  II,  16,  75. 
Atin,  I,  367, 
Atir-Atisau,  II,  174. 


Atirkaha-Atisau,  II,  174. 

Atma  cloth,  II,  175,  346. 

Attis,  II,  305. 

Attoh  Custom,  I,  116. 

Atu,  I,  308. 

Au  sceptre,  II,  341. 

Auguries,  II,  170. 

Augury,  I,  362. 

Auker,  Aukert,  I,  39,  342,  345. 

Au-qau,  II,  311. 

Ausares,  I,  24. 

Autogenesis,  I,  172. 

Auuaurt,  II,  316. 

Avenger,  the,  I,  1 39  ;  of  his  father, 

II,  10. 
Avrekete  Aizan,  I,  367. 
Awafwa,  god,  I,  293;  II,  184. 
Awiri,  II,  152,  153. 
Awunas,  II,  93. 
Ayan,  II,  261. 
Aydowhedo,  I,  367. 
A-Zande,  I,   195,  326 ;  graves  of, 

II,  86. 
Azimbambuli,  a  dancer,  I,  237. 


Ba  soul,  II,  72,  128. 

Ba-f-Ka-fab,  II,  130. 

Ba -I- Ka  H- Khat,  II,  129. 

Ba  +  Khu,  II,  129. 

Ba  4- Khu -f  Khaibit,  II,  126. 

Ba  bird,  II,  337. 

Ba-abt,  II,  344. 

Baabu,  II,  334. 

Baba,  phallus  of,  II,  96. 

Baba,  son  of  Osiris,  1, 122, 203,  343. 

Babalawo  (priest),  II,  159,  219. 

Babangi,  II,  215. 

Babati,  I,  326;  II,  no. 

Babemba,  I,  297. 

Babes  eaten,  I,  179. 

Babi,  I,  128,  129. 

Babira,  I,  325. 


374 


Index 


Babua,  II,  336. 

Babungera,  II,  336. 

Baburu,  I,  181. 

Babwende,  I,  323,  326. 

Babylon  (of  Egypt),  II,  58. 

Bacchis,  I,  398. 

Bacchus,  I,  9. 

Bachichi,  I,  180. 

Bachwezi,  I,  292. 

Backache,  I,  284. 

Backbone  of  Osiris,  I,  37,  48,  214, 
289,  387  ;  II,  I,  49,  199. 

Backbones,  II,  91. 

Badahung,  I,  227. 

Baganda,  the,  I,    195,   377,  387; 
II,  92,  96,  184,  247,  249,  258. 

Bahima,  I,  268;  II,  135,  136,  163. 

Bahima  burial,  II,  100. 

Bahima  grave,  II,  87. 

Bahr  al-Ghazal,  I,  362,  376. 
Bahuana,  I,  245  ;  II,  89,  122,  132, 

221. 
Bahuana  burial,  II,  no. 
Baieu,  II,  no. 
Baima,  I,  181. 
Bairo,  II,  266. 
Bakalai,  II,  242. 
Bakanzanzi,  I,  190,  191. 
Ba-Kavirondo,  II,  184. 
Bakele,  I,  365. 

Baker,  Sir  Samuel,  quoted,  I,  181, 
182,   234,   278,   324,  349,  362, 
403;  II,  88,  113,  114,  162,  205, 
209,   230,   232,   242,   246,   256, 
258,  264,  316. 
Baket,  I,  125  ;  II,  17. 
Bakha,  mount,  II,  167. 
Bakici  Baci,  I,  370. 
Bakishi,  II,  156. 
Bakka-Bakka,  II,  221. 
Bakkarah  (cattle-men),  I,  400 ;  II, 

222. 
Bakongo,  I,  268;  II,  251. 


Bakuba  people,  II,  108. 

Bakuma,  I,  181. 

Bakuti,  I,  226. 

Bakwains,  II,  265. 

Bakwiri,  II,  127. 

Balance  of  Judgment,  I,  327  ;  II, 

157,  180.^ 
Balance  at  Aukert,  I,  345. 
Balesse,  I,  181. 
Balfour,  Dr.  A.,  I,  349. 
Balonda,  I,  363. 
Baluba,  II,  125,  145,  154,  189. 
Baluba  burial,  II,  108,  in. 
Bamandwa  (priests),  I,   377  ;   II, 

184. 
Bambala,   I,   323,   326;    II,   216, 

221. 
Bambarre,  I,  185. 
Bambute,  I,  ^^4. 
Banabuddu,    I,    377 ;    burial,    II, 

100. 
Bananas,     I,     185;     eaten     with 

human  flesh,  I,  180. 
Banda,  I,  375. 
Bandlets,  I,  267  ;  II,  25. 
Bandlet  of  Osiris,  II,  8. 
Ba-neb-Tet,  I,  60 ;  II,  2,  59. 
Bangala,   I,    181,    189,   320,    326, 

382  ;  II,  88. 
Bangata,  II,  109. 
Bange  {Cannabis  indica\  I,  185. 
Bango,  king,  I,  238. 
Banoko,  I,  295. 

Bantu,  people  and  land,  I,  187, 
325,  368,  370;  II,  122,  141, 
145,  166;  II,  170,  205,  208, 
220,  227,  242  ;  worship  of,  I, 
292. 
Bantu  burial,  II,  no. 
Bantu   Karirondo,    1,    172,    293, 

324- 
Banyoro,  II,  94,  218,  232. 
Banyoro  grave,  II,  87. 


Index 


375 


Banziri,  I,  189. 

Banziri  burial,  II,  no. 

Bapoto  burial,  II,  109. 

Baptism,  II,  218. 

Barachi,  I,  375. 

Bardamah,  II,  230. 

Barge  of  Osiris,  II,  19. 

Bari,    land   and    people,    I,    324, 

362,  402;    II,    135,   238,   257, 

258. 
Bari  grave,  II,  88. 
Bari  tails,  II,  209. 
Barimo  (gods),  I,  260,  352. 
Bark-cloth,  I,  173,  292;  II,  98. 
Barley,  grain  and  god,  I,  80,  220  ; 

II,   25,   67  ;    cultivation   of,    I, 

9,  1 1 ;  seven  cubits  high,  I,  98. 
Barlow,  Captain,  I,  172. 
Barotse,   I,    226,    290,   391,   397; 

II,  140,  162,  204. 
Basango,  II,  162. 
Bashangi,  II,  154. 
Basket  pots,  II,  242. 
Basket  work,  II,  242. 
Basoga,  II,   184,  261  ;   burial   of, 

II,  10 1  ;  graves  of,  II,  87. 
Basoka,  I,  181. 
Basoko,  I,  189,  326. 
Bason-gomeno,  I,  375. 
Bast,  goddess,  I,   254,  341,  354; 

II,  291,  334- 

Bast,  tails  of,  II,  207. 

Bastet,  I,  160  ;  II,  318. 

Basti,  I,  341. 

Basukuma,  I,  268;  II,  221; 
burial  of,  II,  102. 

Bat,  I,  284  ;  blood  of,  I,  284. 

Bat  Crown,  I,  146. 

Bat  of  the  Two  Faces,  II,  317. 

Bat-erpet,  I,  132. 

Bata,  mutilation  of,  i,  65  ;  incar- 
nate in  bull,  I,  404 ;  phallus  of, 
eaten,  I,  65. 


Batabwa,  I,  375. 

Batanga,  II,  187. 

Bateke,  II,  107,  191. 

Bathetet,  II,  174. 

Bathing  of  Ra,  II,  330. 

Batoka,  I,  2603  II,  88. 

Batomba,  I,  181. 

Battell,  Andrew,  I,   178,  330;  II, 

88,  105,  218,  221,  265. 
Batwa,  I,  322  ;  II,  221. 
Ba-ur-Tet,  I,  232. 
Bavili,  I,  394;  II,  127,  128;  con- 
ception of  God,  I,  370 ;  strong 
names,  II,  242  ;  year,  II,  249. 
Bavuma,  I,  268,  270;  II,  184. 
Bayaka,    I,    322,   375;    II,    iii, 

122. 
Bayanzi,  I,  322;  II,   166;  chiefs 

of,  I,  320. 
Baziba  grave,  II,  87. 
Bazimu,  I,  268. 
Beads,  I,  235,  323,  390. 
Beans  in  divination,  I,  403. 
Beard,  African,  described,  I,  393  ; 

plaited,  I,  322. 
Beard  of  god,  II,  333. 
Beard  of  Nekhekh,  I,  162. 
Beard  of  Osiris,  I,  39,  40,  387  ;  II, 

48. 
Beauty-paint,  II,  257. 
Beba,  I,  65. 
Bechuanah,  II,  221. 
Beer,  everlasting,  II,  323. 
Beetle,    I,    278;    II,     157,    353; 
appears   with   rise   of    Nile,    I, 
281 ;     creator    of    all    insects 
(Additional  Note,  No.  i). 
Beetle  amulet,  II,  35,  36,  41. 
Beetle,  god,  I,  163  ;  II,  326. 
Beetle,  goliath,  II,  190. 
Befen,  scorpion,  II,  275. 
Behbit,  II,  34,  39. 
Beheading  of  Isis,  I,  9. 


376 


Index 


Behet  stone,  II,  40. 

Behutet  (Edm),  I,  381  ;  II,  54. 

Bekhten,  I,  372  ;  II,  190. 

Bekker,  Dr.,  II,  284. 

Belgians,  I,  192. 

Bells,  I,  237,  403 ;    II,  195  ;  rung 

in  dances,  I,  241,  242. 
Bellerophon,  II,  297. 
Bellona  (Isis),  II,   288. 
Belly,  of  the  sky,  a  constellation, 

II,  361  ;  of  heaven,  II,  338. 
Belly  of  Osiris,  I,  387  ;  II,  49. 
Bemba,  II,  258,  264. 
Bendera,  I,  240. 
Benga  tribe,  II,  228. 
Beni  Hasan,  I,  129. 
Benin,  I,  226;    II,  223,  224,   264, 

265. 
Benin  graves,  II,  88. 
Benita,  II,  140. 
Bennu  bird,   I,   60;    II,  67,   130, 

i39>  328. 
Bentley,    Rev.    Holman,    I,    187, 

188,   190,  243,   245,  368,  382  ; 

II,    107,    108,    145,    166,    191, 

212,  234,  237,  240,  246,  253. 
Bentu,  the  two,  II,  340. 
Bergmann,  Dr.,  I,  52. 
Beri,  chief  of,  I,  184. 
Bernasko,  Rev.  P.  W.,  II,  266. 
Bes,  god,  II,  42. 
Besen  grain,  I,  151. 
Beshu,  II,  18. 
Besoms,  I,  299. 
Bessarion,  II,  182. 
Besua,  I,  58. 
Bet,    Betu    incense,    I,    158 ;    II, 

330- 
Betchuanas,  II,  223. 
Belsan,  II,  221. 
Betshet,  II,  118, 
Bhang  offerings,  I,  298. 
Bier  of  Osiris,  granite,  II,  83. 


Biers  of  Osiris,  II,  26,  33,  34  ff. 

Birch,  Dr.  S.,  II,  19,  224. 

Biri,  I,  373. 

Bight  of  Lake  of  Fire,  II,  81. 

Bihe,  I,  370. 

Bird-gods,  I,  22. 

Birth,  daily,  II,  172. 

Birth,   new,    or   second,    II,    141, 

172. 
Birth,  purifications  after,  II,  217. 
Birth  chamber,  I,  332;  II,   277; 

of  Osiris,    II,   172  ;    of  Ra,   II, 

323- 
Birth,  dances  at,  I,  245 ;  processes 

of,  II,  30. 
Birth-god,  I,  373;  goddesses  of,  I, 

280. 
Birth-marks,  II,  142. 
Birth-place  of  gods,  I,  117. 
Bissao,  Island  of,  I,  225. 
Bitaboh,  I,  361. 
Black  magic,  II,  170. 
Black    tribes,  religion  of,     I,    365 

366. 
Blacks,  I,  200;  II,  222  ;  land  of, 

I,  174. 

Blacksmith  magicians,  II,  185. 
Bleeding  of  cattle,  I,  402. 
Blemmyes,  II,  184. 
Blessed,   Island  of,   I,   319;  their 
condition  in  the  Other  World, 

II,  i57ff. 

Blind,  their  sight  restored  by  Isis, 

1,13- 
Block,   of  the    East.    I,    202 ;    of 
slaughter,  I,  204  ;  House  of,  I, 

341. 
Blood,  I,  317;  the  life,  I,  277; 
anointing  with,  I,  302  ;  drunk 
with  beer,  I,  185  ;  with  pottage, 
I,  402;  smell  of,  I,  176; 
poured  out  on  the  ground,  I, 
202  ;    drunk  at  trial  by  ordeal, 


Index 


377 


I5    339;    of  cattle,   I,    181;    of 

goats,  I,  172,  293  ;  drunk  warm 

from  animals,  I,   194,  402  ;   of 

Isis,  I,  277  ;  II,  200  ;  of  phallus 

of  Ra,  I,  65. 

Blood,  human,   used  in  building, 

I,    222  ;    mixed   with    milk,    I, 

183;  with  manioc  flour,  I,  189. 

Blood  brotherhood,  I,  185. 

Blood,  drinking  of,   i,    176,   182, 

186,  195. 
Blood  fetish,  I,  283. 
Blood  worship,  I,  371. 
Blood-plum  tree,  II,  261. 
Blood  stone,  I,  285. 
Bo,  I,  367. 

Boasting,  sin  of,  I,  342. 
Boat,  phantom,  II,  180. 
Boat  of  Af,  II,  158, 
Boat  of  the  Aterti,  II,  65,  72. 
Boat  of  God,  II,  321,  330, 
Boat  of  the  gods,  I,  48. 
Boat  of  Horus,  II,  63. 
Boat  of  MiUions  of  Years,  I,  96  ; 

II,  275,  276. 
Boat   of    Morning    Sun,    I,    106, 

109. 
Boat  of  Nut,  I,  118. 
Boat  of  Osiris,  I,  249 ;  II,  4. 
Boat  of  Ra,  I,  117,  126,  145,  163, 
346;    II,    158,    171,   323,    334, 

354. 
Boat  of  Seker-Osiris,  II,  61. 
Boat  of  770  cubits,  II,  326. 
Boat  of  the  Sky,  I,  118. 
Boats,  the  Seven  (of  Osiris),  II,  32. 
Boats,  the  Thirty-four,  II,  26,  29, 

30  ;  the  Twenty-nine,  II,  26. 
Boatman  of  Maat,  II,  324. 
Bobowissi,  I,  371,  372. 
Body,  the  physical,  II,   117  ;  the 

dematerialized,  II,  125. 
Body,  the  spirit,  II,  123. 


Body  of  Osiris,  I,  53,  387  ;  II,  48. 
Body-Soul,  IT,  128-136. 
Bodies,  smoke-dried,  I,  268. 
Bodyguard  of  Horus,  II,  329  ;  of 

Osiris,  I,  78. 
Bodum-ganu-minh,  II,  243. 
Boeotia,  I,  2. 

Bohsum,  I,  371,  372,  394. 
Boiling  water,  Lake  of,  II,  81. 
Bolobo,  II,  266. 
Bondas,  their  magic,  I,  194. 
Bones,  three,  used  in  divination, 

11,  183. 
Bongo,  Bongos,  I,   178,  361  ;  II, 

118,    151,    183,  207,  221,   230, 

241,  245. 
Bongo  burial,  II,  99. 
Bongo  dances,  I,  245. 
Bongo  grave,  II,  86. 
Bonham  Carter,  II,  154. 
Bonnat,  I,  228. 
Bopoto,  I,  189,  323. 
Book  of  Am-Tuat,  I,  22,  208,  222, 

263;  II,  81,  156,  158,  163,  233, 

236. 
Book  of  Breathings,  II,  123. 
Book  of  the  Dead  quoted  passim  \ 

Chapters   of,    "found,"   I,    34; 

used  as  an  amulet,  I,  283. 
Book  of  Gates,  I,   iii,  204,  206, 

253,  ZZi;  II>  18,  158,  236,239, 

253- 
Book  of  the  God,  I,  112;  11,321. 
Book  of  Magic,  II,  178. 
Book  of  the  Magical  Protection  of 

Osiris,  II,  34. 
Book    of    Making    the   Spirit   of 

Osiris,  I,  384,  386  ;  II,  44,  56. 
Book  of  Opening  the   Mouth,  I, 

64,  252  ;  II,  47,  97,  268. 
Book  of  the  Other  World,  II,  19. 
Book  of  Overthrowing  Apep,  II, 

81,  174. 


378 


Index 


Book lof  the  Psalms,  I,  283. 

Book  of  the  Two  Ways,  II,  156. 

Boola  tribe,  I,  184. 

Borfimor,  II,  80. 

Bornu,  I,  182. 

Borru,  I,  362. 

Bosman,  II,  196. 

Bossiim,  II,  196. 

Bostra,  II,  285. 

Bottego,  I,  194. 

Bottles,  II,  245. 

Bow,  bearers  of,  I,  119;  of  Neith, 

II,  57  ;  the  9  bows  of  Horus,  I, 

142. 
Bousfeld,  Mr,,  II,  240. 
Boyambula,  I,  230. 
Bracelets,  I,  237,  252,  390. 
Brahfo,  I,  372. 
Brain,  the,  I,  284;  eater  of  the, 

II,  80  ;  extract  of,  I,  167. 
Brains   of  gorilla   eaten,    I,    183, 

330. 
Brains,  human,  a  charm,  or  fetish, 

I,  280;  II,  188. 

Brass,  district,  II,   261  ;  men  of, 

II,  227,  238. 

Bread,   II,    309  ;  art   of  making, 

I,  91. 
Bread,  daily,  I,   131  ;  divine,   II, 

24. 
Bread  in  heaven,  I,  104. 
Bread  of  eternity,  II,  323. 
Breast  amulets,  I,  286. 
Breast  plate,  I,  265  ;    II,  38  ;  of 

Osiris,  II,  35. 
Breasts,  cutoff,  II,  227  ;  women's, 

eaten  as  delicacy,  I,  178. 
Breasts  of  Neith,  II,  64 ;  of  Nut, 

IIj  336  ;  of  Samt-urt,  I,  146. 
Breasted,  Mr.,  I,  255  ;  II,  14. 
Bronchitis,  II,  211. 
Brothers,  the   Two,  I,   145 ;   sun 

and  moon,  I,  395. 


Browne,  Mr.  W.  G.,  II,  223. 

Brownell,  Dr.,  II,  100. 

Bruce,  travels  of,  I,  192,  193,. 
194. 

Brundo  (raw  meat),  I,  194. 

Brugsch,  Dr.  H.,  I,  25,  176,  357  ; 
II,  21,  44,  250,  276. 

Buaka,  I,  189. 

Bubastis,  I,  254,  341,  354;  II, 
34,  41,  58,  158,  291. 

Bubis,  I,  173  ;  II,  246. 

Buffalo,  I,  185  ;  horn  of,  II,  195  ; 
hunters,  II,  232. 

Buffoon,  I,  235. 

Bugs,  aromatic,  II,  236. 

Bugingo,  II,  184. 

Buja,  I,  189. 

Bukalai,  I,  270. 

Bukasa,  I,  377. 

Bukole,  II,  1 01. 

Bulawayo,  I,  391. 

Bull,  pied,  I,  326 ;  white-spotted, 
I,  402;  light-giving,  I,  160; 
sacred  to  Osiris,  I,  12  ;  incar- 
nation of  Osiris,  I,  399  ; 
amulets,  II,  41  ;  =  Osiris,  I, 
385,  397  ;   =  Horus,  II,  58. 

Bull  of  Amentet,  I,  19,  399. 

Bull  of  bulls,  tail  of,  I,  131. 

Bull  of  gods,  I,  128. 

Bull  of  governors,  I,  397. 

Bull  of  heaven,  or  sky,  I,  114, 
116,  120,  154;  II,  339,  361, 
362. 

Bull  of  Kenset,  I,  102. 

Bull  of  Nekhen,  I,  113. 

Bull  of  the  Nine,  II,  329. 

Bull  of  offerings,  I,  163. 

Bull  of  the  Other  World,  I,  19. 

Bull-god,  I,  19;  II,  321. 

Bull-skin,  I,  41,  271,  400. 

Bulls,  the  Four,  of  Tern,  I,  144, 
399- 


Index 


379 


Btin,  II,  132. 

Bunji,  II,  249. 

Bun  Yung,  I,  376. 

Burial,    the   Spirit,    II,    44,    266  ; 

at  Abydos,  II,  20. 
Burial-murders  described,  II,  98  ff. 
Burial,   various  forms  of  African 

described,  I,  172  ff. 
Burton,  Sir  R.,  I,  208,  229,    240, 

330,  367;  II,  80,  88,  92,  151, 

162,  166,  243,  266. 
"Bush"  as  cemetery,  II,  82. 
Bush-fetish,  I,  367. 
Bush-king,  II,  243. 
Bush-soul,  II,  138,  139,  147. 
Bushel  measure,  I,  340. 
Busiris,   I,   37,   46,   52,   210,  211, 

214,  220;  II,  I,  10,  12,  15,  16, 

17,  32,  41,  45,  54,  56,  66,  68, 

69,  72,  74,  157,  353- 
Busiris,  King,  I,  210,  212. 
Busirites,  I,  48. 
Busoga,  I,  186,  402  ;  II,  215. 
Busoko  cannibalism,  II,  14. 
Bustles  in  Dahomey,  I,  240. 
Butchers  of  Osiris,  I,  202. 
Butler,  Mr.  H.  E.,  II,  287  ff. 
Buto,  I,  115;  II,  12,  17. 
Buttocks  of  Osiris,  II,  49. 
Butus,  I,  7,  17. 
Buvuma,  II,  184. 
Buyegu,  II,  184. 
Bwela,  I,  189. 
Bworo,  I,  376. 
Byblos,  I,  4,  5,  7,    16;  II,  285; 

king  of,  I,  5  ;  pillar  of,  I,  6. 
Byssus,  II,  335. 
Byyanzi,  I,  226. 


Cabango,  I,  297. 
Cabindas,  I,  366. 
Cactus-tree  worship,  II,  261. 


Caffre  tribes,  II,  221. 

Cairo,  I,  177,   195,  224,  246,  247. 

Cakes  of  Osiris,  II,  131. 

Calabar,  I,  113,  272. 

Calabash,  calapash,  I,  242,  300. 

Calandola,  I,  178. 

Calendar,  II,   179;   of  lucky  and 

unlucky  days,  I,  4  ;  II,  249. 
Calves,  sacred,  I,  212. 
Camante,  II,  260. 
Camma  (Nkama),  II,  216,  261. 
Campania,  II,  293. 
Cameroons,  I,  187. 
Camwood,  I,   292,  325,   326  ;  11^ 

104,  257. 
Canal  of  Abydos,  II,  13. 
Canals,  I,  1 1. 
Candace,  II,  230. 
Candido,  Signer,  I,  363. 
Cannibalism,   I,    167  ff.,   363;    II, 
265  ;  abolished  by  Osiris,  I,  9  ; 
causes  of,  I,  174;  explained  by 
Livingstone,    I,    185 ;    religious 
significance  of,    I,    181  ;    sacra- 
mental,  II,    292 ;    orgies  of,   I, 
184. 
Canoe,  I,  299. 
Canopic  vases,  II,  47. 
Capart,  Mr.  J.,  I,  282  ;  II,  220. 
Cape  Coast,  II,  228. 
Captain  of  boat,  II,  338. 
Captives,    sacrifices    of,    I,    215, 

219  ff. 
Cardinal  points,  II,  167. 
Carthage,  II,  286. 
Cartouche  amulet,  II,  38. 
Cat,  the  Male,  I,  367  ;  sacrificed^ 

I,  229. 
Cat  of  Hapt-re,  I,  345. 
Cat'seye  stone,  I,  286. 
Catania,  II,  286. 

Cataract,  First,  I,   176;  Third,  I^ 
286. 


38o 


Index 


Caterpillar,  II,  235, 

Cattle,  burnt  in  tombs,  I,  226  ; 
in  Tuat,  II,  164;  dung  of,  I, 
400. 

Cause  of  causes,  I,  367. 

Casati,  II,  88. 

Casembe,  I,  298. 

Cashil,  II,  118. 

Casket  of  Osiris,  11,  25. 

Cassava,  I,  185. 

Celsinus,  II,  294. 

Cenchieae,  II,  296,  303. 

Cenotaph  of  Osiris,  II,  8,  9,  i^. 

Censer,  I,  250  ;  ebony,  II,  4. 

Centipedes,  II,  236. 

Central  Congo-land,  II,  166. 

Ceratorrhina  goliath,  I,  278. 

Ceres,  I,  9 ;  II,  287,  288. 

Chabas,  I,  94,  351  ;  II,  75. 

Chaeroneia,  I,  2. 

Chafing  of  hands,  II,  337. 

Chalk  on  faces,  I,  241. 

Chalk  and  human  brains,  II,  80. 

Chamber,  of  the  Cow,  II,  17  ;  of 
Light,  II,  309  ;  of  the  Throne, 
11,  263  ;  underground,  II,  163. 

Chambi,  I,  374. 

Chameleon,  I,  367. 

Champollion  Figeac,  I,  358. 

Champollion  Le  Jeune,  I,  308. 

Chapter,  of  Betu  incense,  II,  330  ; 
of  coming  forth,  II,  330 ;  of 
natron,  II,  330 ;  of  supply  of 
altar,  I,  102 ;  those  who  travel, 
II,  330 ;  of  the  heart,  I,  333. 

Chapters  of  Horus  Followers,   I, 

163. 
Charcoal,  II,  190. 
Charms,   use  of,  II,   200 ;    burnt 
and  drunk,  I,  287  ;    the  seven, 
I,  285. 
Charon,  I,  134,  342. 
Chest  of  Osiris,  I,  3. 


Chickens,  sacred,  I,  259, 

Chicova,  I,  272. 

Chief,  of  hours,  I,  1 1 2  ;  of  temples, 

II,  16. 
Chieng,  I,  381. 
Chifafa,  II,  191. 
Child  (Osiris),  II,  51. 
Child  of  South  (Tetun),  I,  154. 
Children,  eaten,  I,  182;  of  God, 

II,  361. 
Children   of   Horus.      (See  Four 

Sons.) 
Children  of  Keb,  II,  313,  346. 
Children  of  Nut,  II,  326. 
Children  of  Tem,  II,  360. 
Childbirth,  I,  286;  II,  301,  302; 

II,  226;  prayers  at,  I,  366. 
Chimpanzi,  I,  330,  331  ;  II,  242. 
Chinsunse,  II,  144. 
Chinyai,  II,  225. 
Chiope  hunters,  II,  232. 
Chios,  II,  285. 
Choiak,  II,  44. 
"  Chop,"    t..e,     human     flesh,    I, 

184. 
Chopi,  I,  236. 
Christ,  Name  of,  II,  182. 
Christianity,  I,  361  ;  II,  120,  135, 

170,  281,  306. 
Christians,    II,     168,     218,     260; 
Abyssinian,    I,    270;    Egyptian, 
II,  182. 
Cicatrization,  I,  325. 
Circle,  the,  I,  340. 
Circles  of  Amenti,  II,  157. 
Circuit  of  Amenti,  I,  203. 
Circumcision,  II,  219  ff. ;  festivals 

of,  II,  252;  of  girls,  II,  222. 
Circumcision-god,  II,  220. 
Cistern  at  Abydos,  II,  13,  19. 
City  of  God,  I,  128;  II,  72. 
Civet  tails  worn,  II,  208. 
Clapperton,  I,  390. 


Index 


381 


Clapping  of  hands,  I,  244. 
Claws  of  leopard,  II,  188. 
Clay  figures,  magic,  II,  183. 
Clea,  the  lady,  I,  2. 
Cleopatra,  I,  361 ;  II,  234. 
Clitoris,  II,  222. 
Cloak  of  Olympus,  II,  302. 
Cloaks,  the  twelve,  II,  302. 
Clothes  in  the   Other  World,  II, 

166. 
Club,  I,  146 ;  II,  322. 
Cockroaches,  II,  236. 
Coffer  of  Osiris,  II,  8. 
Coffers,  the  four,  II,  26. 
Coffin,  barrel-shaped,  II,   105 ;  of 

Osiris,  II,  24. 
Coffins,  use  of,  I,  222. 
Cogyoor,  II,  182. 
Cojoor,  II,  263. 
Cold  in  the  Tuat,  II,  164. 
Collar  of  Osiris,  I,  323. 
College  of  Isis,  II,  293,  299. 
Colobus,  skin  of,  I,  240,  320  ;  II, 

207. 
Combatants,  the  two,  II,  59. 
Coming  forth  by  day,  II,  4. 
Commemoration  of  Osiris,  II,  44. 
Communion    with    the    dead,    I, 

264, 
Company  of  Osiris,  I,  41. 
Companies  of  the  gods,  the  two, 

I,  353,  ^Xi^  passim. 
Concubines,  II,  215. 
Confession,  I,  338. 
Congo,    I,    191,    226,    322,    368, 

370,    381;    II,   no,    141,   150, 

215. 
Congo,  basin  of,  I,  187. 
Congo,    burial   on   the,   II,    105; 

cannibalism   on   the  Congo,   I, 

180  ;  forest,   II,   235  j  pygmies 

of,  II,  220. 
Congo-land,  I,  229,  244;  II,  90,223. 

VOL.  II. 


Conjurers,  II,  183. 

Constantinople,  II,  285. 

Contempt  of  city-god,  I,  342. 

Continence,  II,  292. 

Coomassie,  I,  222. 

Coptos,  I,  4 ;  II,  33,  195. 

Copulation,  II,  49. 

Cord  of  the  divine  book,  I,  97. 

Cord  of  the  shrine,  I,  63. 

Corelia  Celsa,  II,  294. 

Corinth,  II,  286,  296. 

Corisco,  I,  369  ;  II,  218. 

Corn,  I,  80. 

Coronation  of  Horus,  I,  311. 

Coronation,  stele  of,  II,  244. 

Corpulency,  II,  230. 

Corybas,  II,  305. 

Corvee,  I,  220. 

Coulfo,  I,  390. 

Council  of  gods,  II,  305. 

Court  of  Osiris,  I,  333. 

Courtesans,  II,  215. 

Cousins,  marriage  of,  II,  213. 

Cow,  black,  II,  25  ;  white,  I,  376 ; 

mutilation  of,  I,  192  ;  of  Hathor, 

II,  281. 
Cow  dung,  II,  257. 
Cow  goddess,  I,  19,  288,  401  ;  II, 

57. 
Cow  hide,   I,  403  ;  laid  in   grave, 

II,  98. 
Cow  nurses,  I,  130. 
Cows,  the  seven,  I,  399. 
Crane,  II,  350. 
Crawley,  Mr.,  I,  174. 
Creation,  II,  343. 
Creek  Town,  I,  272  ;  II,  237. 
Cremation,  II,  89. 
Crescent,  I,  386  ;  II,  252. 
Cretans,  II,  258. 
Crete,  II,  285. 
Crickets,  pouncing,  II,  236. 
Cripple  and  the  ladder,  II,  168. 

2    C 


382 


Index 


Cripples  mutilated,  II,  222. 

Crocodile,  I,  128,  284,  367;  II, 
139,  154,  171,  238;  fears  the 
papyrus,  I,  7 ;  genitals  of,  I, 
128;  II,  240;  liver  and  entrails 
of,  II,  183  ;  in  wax,  II,  178. 

Crocodile-god,  I,  21,  127  ;  II,  57, 
238. 

Crocodilopolis,  II,  239. 

Crocodilus,  niloticus,  cataphractus, 
osteoloemus,  II,  240. 

Crop-god,  II,  261. 

Crops,  dancing  for,  I,  245. 

Cross,  II,  182. 

Cross  amulet,  I,  283. 

Cross,  sign  of,  in  Uganda,  I,  377  ; 
II,  184,  247. 

Cross  River,  I,  184  ;  II,  226. 

Crowfoot,  Mr.  J.  VV.,  I,  286. 

Crown,  amulets  of  the,  II,  36. 

Crowns,  the  Seven,  of  Osiris,  II, 

29,  43. 
Crystal,    I,    127,    148,    154,    162, 

345  ;  II,  360 ;  amulets,  II,  38  ; 

sky,  II,  167;  vases,  II,  66. 
Cunningham,   Mr.  J.   F.,   I,    172, 

180,  268,  377,  402  ;  II,  87,  90, 

92,  98,  100,  loi,  103,  135,  162, 

163,  221,  247,  249,  257,  258. 
Cursing  by  spitting,  II,  203. 
Curry  (human  ribs),  I,  186. 
Curse,  to,  I,  342  ;  cursing,  I,  341  ; 

II,  178;  cursing  god  and  king, 

I,  342,  343- 
Cusae,  II,  28,  33. 
Customs,  Annual,  I,  187;  II,  10. 
Cuvier,  II,  230. 
Cyprians,  II,  288. 
Cyprus,  I,  397. 

D'Abbadie,  I,  193. 

Dada,  I,  373. 

Dagara,  burial  of,  II,  99. 


Daho,  II,  243. 

Dahomey,  Customs  of,  I,  186, 187, 
208,  225,  227,  228,  229,  299; 
II,  II,  90,  155,  162,  166,  194, 
243,  266,  269  ;  dancing  in,  I, 
240;  grave,  II,  88;  religion  of, 

I,  367- 

Daily  Cult,  or  Service,  II,  246, 
252-254. 

Damagondai,  I,  295. 

Damba  Island,  I,  377. 

Dance,  of  the  god,  I,  232 ;  II, 
253  ;  obscene,  I,  243  ;  II,  227; 
of  witch  doctor,  I,  237. 

Dances  described,  I,  234 ;  to  new 
moon,  I,  244,  390 ;  in  Other 
World,  II,  166 ;  under  trees, 
I,  243  ;  West  African,  I,  242. 

Dancers,  I,  33. 

Dancing-god,  I,  377. 

Dancing,  I,  231  ff.;  objects  sym- 
bolizing, I,  33 ;  an  act  of 
homage,  I,  243  ;  of  worship,  I, 
33.  232. 

Danh,  I,  368. 

Danh-gbwe,  I,  367. 

Danse  du  ventre,  I,  245. 

Darb  al-raml,  II,  193. 

Daressy,  Mr.  G.,  II,  4,  12,  248. 

Darius,  II,  4. 

Darkness,  I,  373;  II,  180;  dwellers 
in,  I,  112;  lord  of  (Babi),  I, 
129;  of  Tuat,  II,  164;  serpent 
of,  II,  259. 

Date  groves,  II,  19;  palms,  I,  45. 

Day,  goddesses  of,  II,  32  ;  parts 
of,  II,  249. 

Day  of  blood,  I,  394 ;  of  Great 
Reckoning,  I,  343. 

Day-sun,  I,  60. 

Days,  epagomenal,  or  intercalary, 
I,  2  ;  II,  248  ;  lucky  and 
unlucky,  I,  4;  II,  179. 


Index 


383 


Daughters  Merti,  I,  315  ;  the  Two, 

I,  154. 

Dead,  the,  II,  332  ;  among  the 
living,  I,  290  ;  burning  of  the, 
I,  204  ;  II,  30  ;  converse  with, 
I,  376;  cult  of,  I,  379  ;  discuss 
human  affairs,  II,  165;  disposal 
of,  I,  167;  dug  up  and  eaten, 
I,  172,  180;  II,  80;  offerings 
to,  I,  262;  II,  120;  messages 
sent  to,  I,  298 ;  dead  man 
speaks,  II,  182  ;  "  medicine  " 
made  from  bodies  of,  II,  179. 

Dead,  god  of  the,  I,  377. 

Dead,  judgment  of  the,  I,  314. 

Dead  Land,  I,  39,  167,  368;  II, 
155,  166,  279. 

Deafness  (moral),  I,  341. 

Death,  1, 356  ;  II,  i43fr.,  306,  343  ; 
by  witchcraft,  II,  144;  causes 
of,  II,  145;  daily,  II,  172; 
dance  of,  I,  243 ;  wail,  II,  78. 

Death,  god  of,  II,  2,  16,  157; 
spirit  of,  II,  150. 

De  Brosses,  II,  196. 

De  Bry,  I,  193. 

Decapitation,  I,  174,  208;  II,  163, 
179;  of  captives,  I,  203,  204; 
of  the  dead,  I,  169,  170. 

Deceit,  I,  340,  342. 

Decle  quoted,  I,  173,  186,  226, 
237,  260,  284,  290,  293,  294, 
336,  362,  391,  397;  II,  104, 
140,   i45»   183,   205,   213,  225, 

251- 
Decree  of  gods,  I,  311;  of  Tanen, 

n,  71. 
Defremery,  I,  178,  225,  230. 
de  Horrack,  I,  389  ;  II,  59. 
Deification   of  members,    II,    96, 

329- 
Dekans,  the    36,    I,    152;  II,  34, 
181,  250,  277. 


Delos,  II,  285. 

Delta  of  Egypt,  I,   7,   16,   37,  96, 

98,    137.  301.  398;  n,    I,   84, 

157,  176,  238,285. 
Demeter,  II,  287. 
Demon  of  man-eaters,  I,  377. 
Demons,  II,  150,  165. 
Demonology,  I,  364. 
de  Morgan,  I,  32,  168,  171. 
Demotic  letters,  II,  290. 
Denderah,   I,    279;  II,   ^;^;  mys- 
teries at,  II,  21  ff. 
Deng-dit,  I,  375- 
Dennett,   Mr.,   I,   228,    242,    262, 

361,   370,  382,   395 ;   II,    104, 

128,  i66,  233,  243,  249,  258. 
Der  al-Bahari,  II,  229. 
de  Rouge,  I,  360. 
de  Sacy,  I,  177,  195;  II,  93. 
de  Souza,  I,  227. 
Destiny,  I,  332. 
Deung  Adok,  I,  376,  403. 
Deveria,  Mr.  E.,  II,  129. 
Devil,  the,  I,  331,   375,   378;  II, 

182  ;  beaten  with  besoms,  I,  299. 
Devils,    I,    268;    II,    150,     177; 

casting  out,  II,  190. 
de  Vogiie,  II,  286. 
Devourer,  the,  II,  146,  180. 
Dew,  I,  113;  of  Keb,  II,  325. 
Dhura,  II,  25. 
Diana-Isis,  II,  288. 
Dinka,  country  and  people,  I,  181, 

258,    375.    400,   403;  II,    151, 

181,  183,  237,  238. 
Diocletian,  II,  284. 
Diodorus  Siculus  quoted,  I,  9  ff., 

24,  33.   39.  67,   167,  168,   176, 

210,  231,    387,    388,    397;  II, 

280,  305. 
Diospolis,  II,  55. 
Diseases,  caused  by  spirits,  I,  269, 

270;  II,  189. 

2    C    2 


384 


Index 


Dish  for  jawbone,  II,  92. 
Disk,  I,  343,  356  ;  II,  68. 
Dismemberment,      I,      174  ;      of 

Horus,  I,  9  ;  of  Osiris,  I,  15,  62. 
Divination,  II,  185  ;  art  of,  I,  14. 
Divination-god,  I,  377. 
Divine  Cult,  Ritual  of,  I,  250. 
Divisions   of  Tuat,    The   Twelve, 

II,  158. 
Dixcove,  II,  240. 
Doctor,  of  the  book,  II,  186. 
Dog,    threatens   death,    II,    146 ; 

the  dog  of  the  Niam  Niam,  I, 

179;  skin   of,   I,    11;   hunting 

dogs,  II,  242. 
Dog-star,  I,   93,   107,    156,   389; 

II,  291. 
Dohen,  I,  367. 
Dokos,  I,  363. 
Dolls,  as  ancestors,  I,  292  ;  steato- 

pygous,  II,  229. 
Domain,  of  Osiris,  I,  80  ;  II,  160  ; 

of  Horus,  I,  112;  of  Ra,  I,  112; 

of  Set,  I,  80. 
Domains   of  Horus   and   Set,    I, 

104,   125,    126,    134,   150,  163, 

165  ;  II,  311,  333. 
Domains  of  Horus  and  Osiris,  I, 

109. 
Domains  of  North  and  South,  II, 

357; 

Domains  of  the  Tuat,  II,  160. 

Dongo,  II,  221, 

Donkey  in  medicine,  I,  284. 

Donun,  II,  243. 

Door  for  spirits,  I,  293. 

Doorkeeper,  II,  254. 

Doors,  the  seven,  II,  26,  172. 

Dorman  quoted,  I,  175. 

Doshi,  II,  122. 

Dragon  of  70  cubits,  II,  182. 

Drah  ab^i'l  Nekkah,  I,  379. 

Dream-soul,  II,  136,  137. 


Dreams,  I,  364;  II,  150,  170,  181, 

185. 
Drexler,  II,  285. 
Dried  bodies,  II,  264. 
Drink  offerings,  I,  262. 
Drum,  I,  237  ;  II,  263  ;  of  Bukole, 

II,  lOI. 
Drums,  I,  234,  393  ;  and  dancing, 

I,  243. 
Dsumbe,  I,  180. 

Dua  Ebola  River,  II,  195. 
Dual  soul,  the,  II,  127,  135. 
Du  Chaillu,  I,  183,  186,  226,  238, 
270,  295,  322,  330,  392,  402  ; 

II,  80,  192,  194,  216,  225,  237, 
242,  248,  261. 

Duck,  I,  117. 

Duen-fubara  images,  I,   296 ;   II, 

267. 
Duke  Town,  I,  184. 
Diimichen,  Dr.,  I,  loi  ;  II,  21. 
Duncan,  I,  186. 
Dura,  I,  185. 
Dust,    sacred,    I,    286,    298 ;    on 

shoulders  and  temples,  I,  244 ; 

II,  162. 
Dutchmen,  I,  192. 
Duungu,  II,  184. 
Duwat,  I,  376. 
Dwarf,  I,  234;  dancing,   I,    236; 

red,  I,  322. 
Dweller  in  Netat,  I,  145 ;  in  Hen 

boat,  I,  105  ;  in  Tuat,  I,  116. 
Dyeing,  II,  29. 
Dyke  of  Netit,  II,  10. 
Dyoor  (DyHr),  II,  85,  204,  245. 
Dyvor,  I,  178. 


Ear,  red,  II,  336, 

Ears,  the  seventy-seven,  II,   174; 

of  Osiris,   I,  387  ;    on  stele,  I, 

280. 


Index 


385 


Earth,  I,  113  ;   a  form  of  Isis,  I, 

15  ;    daughters    of,     II,     305  ; 

ploughing  the  earth  in  Tetu,  I, 

210;  II,  10. 
Earth-god,  I,  2,  79,  115,  144,  152, 

265  ;  II,  291. 
Earth-gods,  I,  125. 
Earth-goddess,  II,  287. 
Earth-soul,  II,  146. 
Earth-spirit,  I,  294. 
Earthquake,  I,  222,  371. 
Earthquake-god,  I,  377. 
East,  horns  of,  II,  310;   souls  of, 

I,  98. 

East,  spitting  towards,  I,  382. 

Easter  eggs,  II,  219. 

Eavesdropping,  I,  341, 

Ebony,  I,  295. 

Ebumtup,  II,  147. 

Eclipse,    I,    62,    388,    395  j    how 

caused,  I,  382. 
Edemili,  II,  261. 

Edfa,  II,  26, 33. 

Edict  of  Theodosius  I,  II,  284. 
Edjou  Gallas,  I,  363. 
Effluxes  of  Osiris,  I,  148;  II,  51. 
Efik,  I,  228  ;  II,  261. 
Eganu-menseh-Minhwe-Gezu,     II, 

243. 
Egba,  II,  228, 
Egg,  the  cosmic,  I,  60. 
Eggs,  the  two,  I,  367  ;  Easter,  II, 

219. 
Egugu,  I,  274;  II,  185. 
Egypt,  area  of,   I,  256  ;    gods  of, 

II,  305- 

Egyptians    embrace    Christianity, 

II,  120. 
Ehehe,  II,  144. 
Eight   gods   of    Horus,     II,    56 ; 

fiends  of  Set,  I,  148. 
Eileithyias,  II,  25,  35,  55. 
Eland,  fat  of,  II,  187. 


Elegba,  I,  373. 

Elemba,  I,  375. 

Elephant,  I,   185;    hunts,  I,   11; 

possessed,  II,  140  ;  70  tusks  of, 

II,  88. 
Elephantine,   I,  354;    II,  54,  75, 

319- 
Eleusia,  II,  287. 
Eleusinians,  II,  288. 
Eleusinian  mysteries,  II,  292. 
Ellis,   Col.,  quoted,   I,   222,    229, 

243.  297,  371,   372,  374,  394; 

n,  93,  121,  122,  124,  159,  165, 

196,   197,   201,   219,  228,   249, 

252,  253,  261. 
Eloby,  I,  395. 

Elysian  Fields,  I,  97,  98,  118. 
Emanations  of  Osiris,  I,  389. 
Embalmers,  I,  305. 
Embalming,  process  of,  I,  169. 
Embalmment,  II,  20  ;  chamber  of, 

II,  43 ;  god  of,  II,  45. 
Emblemism,  II,  198. 
Embrace,  importance  of  the,  I,  86. 
Emerera,  II,  102. 
Emetic,  II,  191. 
Emin     Pasha,     I,     181  ;      grave 

described  by,  II,  87. 
Emissions    of  Osiris,    I,  80 ;    II, 

337- 
Em-khent-merti,  II,  339. 
Endowment,  I,  12;  II,  19. 
Enemies  eaten,  I,  178. 
Enfudu,  II,  258. 
Engai,  I,  363,  366. 
Engato,  II,  184. 
Engeco,  I,  330. 
Enketa,  I,  374. 

Enthronement,  stele  of,  II,  216. 
En-urtch-nef,  I,  153. 
Envoy  of  Horus,  II,  354. 
Epagomenal  days,  I,  2  ;  gods  of, 

I,  9. 


386 


Index 


Ephesus,  II,  287. 

Epirus,  II,  186. 

Equator,  II,  109,  284, 

Erica  tree,  I,  4,  5,  19,  345  ;  II, 
40. 

Erman,  I,  26,  279. 

Erpat,  II,  66. 

Eruwa,  I,  363. 

Erythrophlaeum  quineense,  II, 
192. 

Escaryac  de  Lanture,  II,  208. 

Eshi-kongo,  I,  375. 

E-Sigiriaishi,  II,  185. 

Eternity,  I,  370. 

Ethiopia,  I,  231. 

Ethiopians,  I,  11,  238,  288. 

Etia,  gorilla  dancer,  I,  241. 

Euphrates,  I,  379. 

Evening  star,  II,  315. 

Evening  sun,  I,  59. 

Evil  eye,  I,  285. 

Evil,  god  of,  II,  164;  spirits  of,  I, 
270. 

Ewe  people,  II,  121. 

Ewes,  I,  372. 

Ewo-erun,  II,  249. 

Ewo-ojo,  II,  249. 

Ewo-oye,  II,  249. 

Excision  of  females,  I,  373. 

Eye,  eating  of  the,  I,  11  ;  eyes, 
the  seventy-seven,  II,  174; 
eyes  opened,  I,  227;  paint 
for,  I,  252. 

Eye  of  Horus,  I,  84,  102,  115, 
130,  132,  133,  134,  135,  136, 
138,  142,  143,  147,  149,  157, 
161,  165,  184,  316,  388;  II, 
309.  314,  321,  328,  329,  341, 
342,  35°,  355.  360;  amulets 
of,  II,  36-38 ;  swallowed  by 
Set,  I,  62 ;  revived  Osiris,  I, 
82  ;  tears  of,  I,  104. 

Eye  of  Khnem,  boat  of,  II,  328. 


Eye  of  Ra,  I,  144,  346;  II,  172, 

203,  277,  328, 
Eye  of  Teba,  1, 113. 
Eyes  of  Maat,  I,  315. 
Eyes  of  Nut,  I,  156. 
Eyes  of  Osiris,  I,  287. 
Eyeballs,  human,  as   amulets,  I, 

184,  284. 


Face,  one,  I,  115. 
Falling  stars,  I,  377. 
Falsehood,  I,  341. 
Family  deities,  I,  371. 
Family  Ufe  in  Tuat,  II,  160. 
Famine,    I,    176   ff. ;    caused   by 

twins,  II,  225. 
Fan,  used  in  dancing,  I,  242. 
Fan,  the,  I,   179,   183,   186,  370; 

idol  of,  I,  238. 
Fang,  I,  322. 
Fanti,  11,  165. 
Farbanna  war,  II,  249. 
Farshtit,  I,  246. 
Fasting,  II,  292 ;  for  new  moon, 

I,  391- 

Fat,    human,   I,    178,    179,    182 ; 

II,  80,  no. 

Fat  placed  on  head,  I,  336. 
Fat  Heru,  II,  18. 
Fate,  I,  322;  II,  145,  302. 
Father,    divine,    II,    356 ;   Osiris, 

the,  II,  354;  of  trees,  II,  261  ; 

priests,  II,  47. 
Father-god,  I,  300,  370;  II,   116, 

307- 
Fatiko,  II,  242. 
Fayytim,  I,  341. 

Feasts  in  the  Other  World,  II,  166. 
Feather,   bearer  of  the,    I,    321 ; 

green,  I,  127. 
Feathers,  I,  316,  322  ;  red,  I,  40; 

of  crown  of  Osiris,  I,  32,  321; 


Index 


387 


of  Maati,    II,    8 ;  the   two,    I, 

146 ;  of  vultures,  I,  240. 
Feet,    human,    I,     178;    rubbing 

the,   II,   336;  treatment  of,    I, 

169  ;  of  Osiris,  I,  387. 
Feiti^eiro,  II,  197. 
Feiti90s,  II,  197. 
Fen-men,  II,  196. 
Fent-f-ankh,  II,  49. 
Fenti,  I,  340. 

Fernando  Po,  II,  167,  246. 
Ferry  at  Abydos,  II,  20. 
Ferry-boat  of  heaven,  I,  134. 
Ferry-man  of  heaven,  I,  1 34. 
Ferry-god,  I,  165,   299,   313,  341, 

345  ;  n,  324. 
Fertility,  goddess  of,  I,  280. 
Festival  of   Amentet,   II,    i6 ;  of 

Anes,  I,  112  ;  of   Osiris,  II,  3  ; 

sixth  day,  II,  62  ;  eighth  day,  I, 

297  ;    of   the  smashing  of  the 

Anti,  I,  224. 
Festival      Songs     of      Isis      and 

Nephthys,  I,  388;  II,  270. 
Festivals,  I,  20,  390. 
Fetish,  I,  274,   375;    attitude,  II, 

105  ;  horn,  I,  284  ;  huts,  I,  270, 

293;  II,  185,  261;  the  family, 

11,136. 
Fetish-man,  II,  195;  fetish  spirit, 

I,  283. 

Fetish,  true  explanation  of,  I,  275. 
Fetishism,   I,  273,  274,  364,  368; 

II,  196  ff. 
Fibre-tails,  II,  208. 
Ficus  Sycamorus,  II,  260. 
Field  labourers  of  Tuat,  II,  160. 
Field  (or.  Fields),  of  Aarr,  I,  126  ; 

of  Kenset,  I,  163;  of  Life,  II, 
323;  of  Mars,  II,  303;  of 
Offerings,  I,  97,  104,  125,  144, 
334 ;  of  Osiris,  II,  25  ;  of  peace, 
I,  334;  of  reeds,  I,  80,  97,  118, 


125,  129,  154,  156,  i68;  of  Ra, 

I,  153;  of  the  fishers,   I,  162  ; 
of  turquoise,  I,  164. 

Fiends  =  diseases    personified,   I, 

220;  of  the  Tuat,  II,  158. 
Figs,  I,  155 ;  II,  318,  346. 
Fighters,  the  two,  I,  113. 
Figures  and  counting,  II,  246. 
Figures,  magical,  II,  254. 
Filth,  I,  103. 
Finger,  the  little,   I,  74 ;    fingers, 

II,  5 ;   the   two   divine,    I,    77, 
117,  124;  II,  310,  326. 

Finger    nail,    a    fetish,    II,    158; 

finger  nails,  I,  153  ;  II,  246. 
Fiorelli,  II,  286. 
Fire,  I,   113,   345;    H,   81,    180; 

abode   of  the    gods,   I,   98 ;  at 

grave,  II,  87  ;  bodies  dried  by, 

II,  27. 
Fire-fetish,  I,  369. 
Fire-god,  I,  169  ;  II,  172. 
Fire,  Island  of,  I,  in. 
Fire,  Lake  of,  I,  203,  329,  337. 
Fire-pits,  I,  205;  II,  157. 
Fire-spitting  serpent,  I,  206-208. 
Firmament  —  God,  I,  376. 
Firstborn,    slaughter   of,    I,    120; 

II,  266. 
Firstfruits,  I,  9,  391. 
Fish,    unclean   as   food,  II,   176; 

eat  the  member  of  Osiris,  I,  7  ; 

offering,  I,  262. 
Fish-scale  ornaments,  I,  324. 
Fisher,  Rev.  A.  B.,  I,  292. 
Fishers,  Field  of,  I,  162. 
Five  Gods,  the,  II,  72  ;  five  steps, 

I.  43- 
Fjort,  II,  118;  burial,  II,  104. 
Flail,  I,  324. 
Flax,  I,  255  ;  II,  25,  26. 
Fleas,  II,  236. 
Flesh,     human,     sold,     I,      177; 


388 


Index 


disposal  of,  I,    171;  pulped,  I, 

173- 
Flood,  tradition  of  the,  I,  369. 
Flood-gates,  I,  11. 
Flour-offering,  I,  298. 
Fluid  of  life,  I,  135,  138,  142, 
Fluids  of  Osiris,  II,  80. 
Flutes  at  dances,  I,  234. 
Foa,  E.,  quoted,  I,  196. 
Followers  of  Horus,  I,  161,  163, 

334,  335- 
Followers  of  Ra,  I,  119;  II,  348. 
Food  of  gods  created,  I,  79. 
Foot-prints,  II,  186. 
Forehead  of  Amenti,  II,  210. 
Foreigners,  spirits  of,  II,  153. 
Forest,  II,  166  ;  great  African,  II, 

221 ;  of  Other  World,  II,  159; 

of  Dead  Land,  II,  163. 
Forked  sticks,  II,  108. 
Form  of  Osiris,  I,  59 ;  II,  15  ;  of 

the  god,  I,  149. 
Formulas,  magical,  I,  281. 
For  tuna,  II,  287. 
Fortune,  II,  287  ;  teller,  II,  179. 
Forty  Thieves,  the,  I,  182. 
Forty-two  Assessors,  I,  335,  340, 

344,  345- 
Fouquet,  Dr.,  I,  169,  171. 

Four  Abt  vessels,  II,  332  ;  Apes, 
the,  I,  329,  337,  346;  II,  81; 
Bulls,  I,  397  ;  Coffers,  IT,  26 ; 
Divine  kinsmen,  II,  362 ;  Faces, 
II,  326 ;  Firstborn  Spirits,  I, 
117  ;  Gates  of  heaven,  II,  330; 
Gods  of  Great  house,  I,  126; 
II,  320;  Lamps,  II,  175; 
Maidens,  I,  155 ;  Meskhenit, 
II,  34,  94 ;  mud  bricks,  II, 
176;  Nemast  vases,  II,  320, 
322,  323,  332  ;  Papyrus  bands, 
II,  28 ;  Pillars  of  heaven,  II, 
167 ;   Pure  lands,    I,    79 ;   Re- 


joicing ones,  II,  318;  Sons  of 
Horus,  I,  40,  41,  148,  227  ;  II, 
8,  II,  25,  26,  30,  41,  46,  65, 
131,  167,  175,  344,  349;  Sons 
of  Keb,  II,  346;  Souls  I,  127; 
Spells,  II,  175;  Spirits,  I,  124; 
II,  317;  Tchanu,  II,  325; 
Troughs,  II,  1 7'5 ;  Winds,  II, 
258;  Veils,  II,  26. 
Fowler,  H.  W.  and  F.  G.,  quoted, 

n,  305- 

Fowler,  the,  II,  241,  342. 

Fox,  flying,  II,  188. 

Frame  of  umbilical  cord,  II,  94, 

95- 

Frazer,  Mr.  J.  G.,  I,  385. 

Friends,  recognition  of,  II,  161. 

Frobenius,  Dr.,  I,  290;  II,  81, 
87,  92,  135,  144,  151.  184,  197, 
208,  221,  237,  265,  279. 

Frog-goddess,  II,  41. 

Frog  and  new  life,  I,  279;  appears 
with  rise  of  Nile,  I,  281. 

Frog-amulets,  I,  281. 

Frost,  Mr.  F.  J.  T.,  II,  159. 

Fruit-offerings,  I,  265 ;  of  for- 
bidden tree,  I,  369. 

Fucheans,  II,  267. 

FuUafulla,  II,  233. 

Fulling,  goddess  of,  II,'2  78. 

Fumvwe  Island,  I,  377. 

Funeral,  the  African,  II,  90  ff. 

Funeral  dances,  I,  244. 

Funeral  murders,  I,  197  ff. 

Fustat,  I,  340. 


Ga  peoples,  II,  121. 

Gaboon  Mission,  I,  183. 

Gabtan,  I,  184,  187,  293  ;  II,  218, 

228,  232,265. 
Gabtin  Fang,  II,  265. 
Gadow,  II,  249. 


Index 


389 


Gaffats,  II,  223. 

Gaga  burial,  II,  104. 

Gagas,  I,  178. 

Gall-bladder,    a   charm,    I,     180, 

284  ;  of  black  ox,  II,  183. 
Gallas,  I,  194,  363  ;  II,  174,  186, 

223,  238,  260. 
Gander,  II,  319. 
Gan  kaha  de  jeh,  II,  243. 
Ganymede,  II,  297. 
Garenganze,  II,  187,  228. 
Garments,  divine,  I,  252. 
Garstang,  Mr.,  II,  14. 
Gas,  I,  372. 
Gates,  Book  of,  I,  204;  II,  158; 

the   7,    10   or  21   of  Tuat,  II, 

159- 
Gaul,  II,  286. 
Gaza,  II,  285. 

Gazelle,  incarnation  of  evil,  I,  43. 
Gazelle    land    (Bahr  al-Ghazal  ?), 

n,  309. 

Gbalin,  II,  265. 

Gbweije,  I,  367. 

Gebel,  II,  285. 

Gebel  Barkal,  I,  291. 

Gebel  Silsilah,  I,  171. 

Geens,  Rev.  Father,  I,  323,  325. 

Geese,  I,  43. 

Gelele,  II,  243,  244,  247. 

Gemi,  tribe  of,  II,  185. 

Genet  skins,  II,  207. 

Genital  organs,  of  Isis,  I,  277  ;  ot 

Osiris,  I,  387;   II,  49,  96;  of 

Set,     I,     64,     105,     106;    of 

crocodile,  I,  128. 
George,  St.,  I,  283. 
Gerard,  L.,  II,  159. 
Germany,  II,  286. 
Germination,    of    spirit-body,   II, 

124  ;  of  wheat,  II,  32. 
Gezu,  II,  155,  243. 
Ghost,  I,  298,  361,  371. 


Ghost-house,  I,  298. 
Ghost-man,  II,  125. 
Ghosts   in   general,    I,    152,   290, 

292;  II,  183. 
Giraffes'  tails,  I,  402. 
Girdle  of  Nu,  II,  172. 
Girls,  excision  of,  II,  222. 
Gizah,  I,  379. 
Glass,  King,  I,  295. 
Gleichen,  Count,  I,  180,  258,  375, 

403- 

Glere,  II,  243. 

Gnostics,  I,  287. 

Goa,  II,  225. 

Gobat,  I,  194,  363. 

Goblin,  I,  361,  371. 

God,  African  beHef  in,  I,  348 ; 
city  of,  I,  128;  included  in 
Nature,  I,  371 ;  in  his  hour,  I, 
345  ;  ladder  of,  76 ;  His  name 
unknown,  I,  113,  120;  of  up- 
lifted arm,  I,  2 1  ;  of  the  city,  I, 
308 ;  contempt  of,  I,  314,  342  ; 
son  of,  I,  364,  369  ;  the  cause, 
the  essence,  I,  370;  the  great, 
I,  300  ;  to  curse,  I,  342,  343  ; 
with  the  face  of  a  dog,  I,  202  ; 
with  face  turned  behind  him,  I, 
118  ;  house  of,  I,  247  ;  II,  332  ; 
lake  of,  II,  332  ;  scribe  of,  I, 
97  ;  slave  of  (priest),  I,  247 ; 
town  of,  II,  158. 

Gods,  I,  348 ;  birth-place  of,  I, 
164;  descended  the  ladder,  II, 
168;  eaten,  I,  352  ;  Two  Com- 
panies of,  I,  108,  319;  and  see 
fassim  ;  household,  I,  366  ;  of 
Cardinal  Points,  I,  79,  116  ; 
imperishable,  I,  156;  phallic,  I, 
381  ;  secret  names  of,  II,  170, 
173;  eating  the,  I,  120;  the 
Two,  I,  9 ;  the  Five,  I,  9. 

Goddesses,  the  Eight,  II,  32. 


390 


Index 


Gold  Coast,  I,  226,  366,  371  ;  II, 

121,  223,  253. 
Gold,  calf  of,  II,   214;   dust,  I, 

126. 
Golden  Ass  quoted,  II,  287  ff. 
Golden  house,  II,  5. 
Golden  Horus,  II,  242,  277, 
Goldie,  Rev,  Mr.,  II,  237. 
Golenischeff,  Professor,  I,  95 ;  II, 

18,  172,  236,  274. 
Goliath  beetle,  II,  190. 
Goliathus  Atlas,  I,  278. 
Golos,  I,  178,  259,  375. 
Gondokoro,  II,  234. 
Gong  at  funerals,  II,  107. 
Gongos,  II,  223. 
Good  luck,  I,  377. 
Goose,  head  of,  rejoined  to  body, 

II,  179;  intestines,  I,  284. 
Goose-god,  I,  60. 
Goree  stick,  I,  204. 
Gorilla,  brain  of,  a  charm,  I,  183  ; 

dance,  I,  241  ;    in  the  Book  of 

the  Dead,  I,  330. 
Gourd-pattern,  II,  245. 
Gourds  as  medicine,  I,  294. 
Governor  of  Eternity,  II,  4. 
Grain  =  seed   of    Osiris,    I,    15  ; 

germination    of,    II,    32  ;     red 

and  white,  I,  220  ;    offerings  of, 

I,  290. 
Grain-god,  I,  19,  58,  80. 
Grain-spirit,  I,  22,  78. 
Granary  of  Great  God,  II,  323. 
Grandfather,  II,  216. 
Grapes,  I,  45  ;  in  shrine  of  Osiris, 

1,38. 
Grapow,  Herr,  I,  25. 
Grass,  plucking  of,  II,  260  ;  tails 

made  of,  II,  209. 
Grasshopper,  I,  160. 
Grave,  the  African,  described,  II, 

79  ff. ;  protection  of,  II,  171. 


Graves  watered  with  blood,  I,  225  ; 

predynastic,  I,  225. 
Grease  on  head,  I,  336. 
Great  battle,  II,  10. 
Great  black  calf,  I,  397. 
Great  Bear,  I,  122  ;  II,  250,  251, 

278,  344. 
Great  boat,  II,  360. 
Great  bull,  II,  349. 
Great  calf,  I,  397. 
Great  cat,  II,  259. 
Great  chamber  in  Anu,  I,  155. 
Great  chief,  II,  77. 
Great  coming  forth,  II,  6. 
Great  crown,  I,  143,  144. 
Great  customs,  I,  229. 
Great  destroyer,  I,  202. 
Great  god,  II,  323,  324. 
Great  goddess  (Isis),  II,  360. 
Great  green,  II,  326,  331  ;  sea,  I, 

137.  145.  154. 
Great  Green  Lake,  I,  316. 
Great  hall,  I,  311,  319,  328. 
Great   house,    II,    161,    277;    in 

Anu,  78,  332. 
Great  judge,  I,  200. 
Great  lake,  I,  160;  II,  325,  327. 
Great  light,  II,  340. 
Great  list  of  offerings,  II,  269. 
Great  males,  II,  320. 
Great  morning  star,  II,  359. 
Great  Oasis,  I,  98. 
Great  offspring,  II,  314. 
Great  one,  I,  140;  II,  172. 
Great  Place,  II,  321. 
Great  reckoning,  I,  343. 
Great  sacrifice,  I,  212. 
Great  sekhem,  II,  334. 
Great  sky,  II,  359. 
Great  staff,  II,  363. 
Great  star,  I,  159. 
Great  taskmasters,  II,  334. 
Great  terrifier,  I,  103. 


Index 


391 


Great  Tet,  II,  344. 

Great  throne,  I,  119;  II,  71,  321, 

324,  329,  357- 

Great  trial,  II,  321. 

Great  truth,  I,  334, 

Great  Uart,  II,  323. 

Great  water,  II,  180. 

Great  word,  I,  345 ;  II,  318. 

Grebos,  I,  364. 

Greece,  II,  287. 

Greeks,  I,  48,  53,  60,  61,  63,  134, 
231  ;  II,  213. 

Green  crown,  I,  121;  II,  337, 
342. 

Green  field,  II,  313. 

Green  one,  II,  355. 

Green  sceptre,  I,  32. 

Greh,  I,  364. 

Grenfell,  G.,  I,  187,  188,  189, 
192,  229,  236,  245,  278,  281, 
322,  325,  326,  331,  349,  375, 
381,  382;  II,  86,  88,  100,  101, 
108,   no,   113,   122,    142,    143, 

145- 

Griffith,  F.  LI.,  II,  180. 

Guardian  of  Maat,  I,  345 ;  of 
earth,  I,  114;  of  sky,  I,  114. 

Guardian  spirit,  I,  332;  II,  152. 

Gugsa,  I,  363. 

Guide  of  Tuat  (Osiris),  II,  68. 

Guides  in  heaven,  II,  359. 

Guinea,  I,  366  ;  II,  140 ;  North- 
ern, II,  151;  Portuguese,  I, 
187. 

Gumbah,  I,  362. 

Gftn,  I,  367. 

Gurung  Dit,  I,  375. 


Haa,  land  of,  II,  59. 
Haari,  II,  174. 
Hades,  I,  398;  II,  143,  279. 
lia-f-em-ha-f,  I,  129. 


Haf-haf,  I,  133,  138. 

Ha-hetepet,  II,  12. 

Hair,   II,  123;  cut  off  in  mourn- 
ing, I,  4. 

Hall,  Mr.  H.  R.,  I,  224. 

Hall  of  Judgment,  I,  41,  343  ;  II 
158. 

Hall  of  Two  Truths,  I,  96,  315. 

Hall  of  Maati,  I,  315,  317,  338, 

343- 
Hall  of  Ra,  I,  132. 
Hallof  Tetn,  II,  356. 
Hall  of  the  god,  I,  148. 
Halo,  solar,  I,  382. 
Hames,  II,  255. 
Hand-clacking,  I,  237. 
Hand,  with  fetters,  I,  142;  human, 

I,  178. 
Hands  eaten  as  delicacy,  I,  178; 

treatment  of,  I,  169. 
Hand  of  Osiris,  I,  387  ;  II,  48. 
Ha-Nebut,  I,  158. 
Hanes,  II,  69. 
Hap,  a  son  of  Horus,  I,  3, 
Hap  (Nile),  II,  119. 
Hapath,  II,  338. 
Hapt-re,  I,  345. 
Haqahakakaher,  II,  174. 
Hara,  II,  255,  257. 
Harepukakashareshabaiu,  II,  174. 
Harim,  II,  213. 
Harmakhis,  II,  33. 
Harmathan,  II,  249. 
Harp,  of  one  string,  I,  241. 
Harpoons,  II,  241. 
Harpokrates,  I,    9 ;    II,    62,    64, 

286,  290,  294;  in  moon,  I,  21, 
Harvest,  I,  395 ;    goddess  of,    I 

10. 
Hat  bird,  II,  331. 
Hat  of  Horus,  II,  336. 
Hat-house,  II,  337. 
Hat,  with  plumes,  I,  236. 


392 


Index 


Hata  garment,  I,  147. 

Hatet  oil,  I,  147 ;  unguent,  II, 
346. 

Hathor,  I,  3,  19,  124,  131,  144, 
279,  280,  288,  319,  350,  373, 
401:  II,  20,  31,  35,  41,  55,  56, 
58,  259,    281,    285,  291,   292, 

314- 
Hathor,  Cow  of,  II,  281  ;  month 

of,  I,  4. 
Hati  =  heart-soul,  II,  137. 
Hat-mehit,  II,  16. 
Hatshepset,  II,  229. 
Hattersley,   Mr.,  I,   302 ;  II,   74, 

95,  209. 
Hatu  apparel,  I,  114. 
Hau,  I,  112. 
Haubairhuru,  II,  174. 
Hau-nebu,  I,  137. 
Hawash,  II,  260. 
Hawk,   I,    148;  II,  315;  city  of, 

II,  17  ;  yellow-green,  II,  326. 
Hawk-amulets,  II,  37,  39. 
Hawk  of  Seker,  I,  46. 
Head,    human,    king's  perquisite, 

I,  183;  in  pot,    I,   185;  treat- 
ment of,  I,  169. 

Head  of  Osiris,  I,  387;  II,  i. 
Head-box  of  Osiris,  I,  56,  81  ;  II, 

76. 
Headdresses,  I,  321. 
Head-rest,  II,  252. 
Headsman  of  Osiris,  II,  163. 
Heart,    the,    I,    284;    II,    125; 

amulet  of,  II,   39  ;    chapter  of 

the,  I,  333. 
Heart,  human,  eaten,  I,  126,  185; 

with  herbs,  I,  181 ;  gives  courage, 

II,  132. 

Heart  of  bull,  or  ox,  I,  181,  400. 
Heart,  beliefs  about,  II,  130. 
Heart,  to  eat  the,  i.e.^  feel  remorse, 
I,  342. 


Heart-soul,  I,  no;  II,  171,  350. 
Heart,  weighing  of  the,  I,  328. 
Hearts,  judge  of,  II,  347. 
Heat  =  Typhon,  I,  15. 
Heaven,  Bull  of,  I,  116  ;  door  of, 

I,  68 ;  four  gates  of,  II,  330  ; 
gods  of,  I,  125 ;  ladder,  II,. 
167  ;  ruler  of,  I,  363  ;  roads  of,, 

II,  312  ;  womb  of,  II,  314. 
Heb-enti-sas,  II,  62. 
Hecate,  II,  288. 

Hefen,  I,  142. 

Hefnent,  I,  142. 

Heftnet,  mother  of   the  gods,  II,, 

338. 
Heh,  I,  280. 
Heka,  I,  122;  II,   334;  words  of 

power,  II,  119,  172,  175. 
Hekenutet,  I,  113. 
Hekert,  I,  122. 
Heliopolis(An),  1, 39, 100, 102, 108, 

115,   166,   202,  212,   220,  254, 

31 1>  340,  354,  359,  379,  380, 
381,  398;  II,  12,  14,  33,  54, 
58,  67,  68,  75,  117,  131,  156, 
201,   259,   278,   283,  309,  330, 

341,  354- 
Hell,  not  a  native  conception,  II, 

164. 
Hellespont,  I,  11. 
Hemen,  II,  313. 
Hemthet,  I,  122. 
Hen  boat,  I,  105. 
Hena,  II,  18. 
Henbu  boat,  II,  336. 
Henen,  I,  130. 
Henena,  II,  338. 
Henensu,  II,  75. 
Henket,  II,  18. 
Henmemet,   spirits,    I,    105,   117, 

131,    159;    II,   68,    189,    319, 

323,  332,  350,  354- 
Henna,  I,  390. 


Index 


393 


Hennu  boat,  II,  32,  35,  47. 

Hennu  god,  I,  34. 

Hennu  sanctuary,  II,  56. 

Hennu,  an  official,  I,  306. 

Henqu,  I,  306,  307. 

Hensu,  II,  56,  69. 

Hent,  I,  147. 

Hent-het,  II,  349. 

Henthi  gods,  II,  308. 

Henti  period,  II,  67. 

Henu,  I,  72,  136. 

Hep,  son  of  Horus,  I,   106,  131, 

135;  IIj  29,  312,  317,  328. 
Hep  (Nile),  I,   19,   103  ;  II,  334, 

349.  360. 
Hep,  bull-god,  I,  60. 
Hep-Asar  (Sarapis),  I,  61. 
Hep-ur,  I,  114. 
Hepaf,  II,  338. 
Hepath,  I,  130. 
Hepau,  I,  141. 
Heper  (Nile),  I,  19. 
Hephaistos,  I,  9. 
Hept-shet,  I,  340. 
Heq-at,  I,  341. 
Heqet,  I,   279,    280;  II,   31,  41, 

43,  334. 
Heqrer,  god,  II,  327. 
Hera,  I,  9. 
Herakleopolis,  I,   254,  341,  354 ; 

n,  56, 75, 156, 173. 

Heralds  in  Tuat,  II,  159. 
Her-ar-neteru,  II,  354. 
Herculaneum,  II,  286. 
Hercules,  I,  210. 
Her-f-ha-f  god,   I,   118,   299,313, 

341,  342,    345;    II,   241,    311, 

316,  325,  328,  340. 
Heri-seru,  I,  341. 
Her-khuf,  I,  236. 
Hermaphrodites,  II,  139. 
Hermes,    I,     10,     11;     II,    290, 

305- 


Hermonthis,  I,  254,  354,  398. 
Hermopolis,   I,   34,   340;  II,  34, 

40,  56,  59,  75- 
Herodotus,    I,    398;    II,    6,   237, 

239- 
Heron,  II,  139. 
Hert,  I,  139,  152. 
Her-thertu,  god,  I,  120. 
Heru,  stele  of,  I,  289. 
Heru,  clerk  of  works,  II,  224. 
Heru-abt,  II,  315,  331,  344. 
Heru-Bat,  I,  150. 
Heru-Khenti-menat-f,  II,  313. 
Heru-Khent-khu,  II,  346,  347. 
Heru-Khuti,     I,    117,    160,    164; 

II,  67,  68,  316,  341,  344,  354. 
Heru-merti,  II,  58, 
Heru-neb-pat,  II,  331. 
Heru-neb-taiu,  II,  331. 
Heru-p-khert,  I,  141. 
Heru-sa-atef,  I,  198, 
Heru-sa-netch-atef,  I,  93. 
Heru-sekha,  II,  277. 
Heru-Sept,  I,  116. 
Heru-shati,  II,  331. 
Heru-shefit,  I,  254,  354. 
Heru-shest   (or,    shesti),    II,    316 

361. 
Heru-tataf,  I,  34;  II,  179. 
Heru-Tatti,  II,  331. 
Heru-Tema,  II,  59. 
Heru-ur,  I,  43,  64,  378. 
Hesat,  goddess,   I,   75;    II,  314, 

362. 
Hest,  II,  317, 

Hesepti,  I,  S3,  34,  i97,  231. 
Hesert,  II,  56. 
Hesmenu,  II,  144. 
Het-Ankh,  I,  142. 
Het-Asart,  I,  48. 
Het-Atu,  I,  138. 
Het-Baiu,  II,  59. 
Het-Benben,  II,  54. 


394 


Index 


Hetch-a,  I,  58. 

Hetch-abehu,  I,  341. 

Hetch-hetch,  I,  162. 

Hetem,  II,  238. 

Hetenth,  incense  of,  I,  143. 

Hetenut,  god,  I,  143. 

Hetep,  chamber  of,  II,  54 ;  god- 
dess, II,  339. 

Hetepet-hemt,  II,  326. 

Hetep-her-Khut,  I,  305,  307. 

Hetepit,  II,  58. 

Heteptiu,  I,  162. 

Het-Ertuu,  II,  55. 

Het-Hesmen,  II,  335. 

Het-ka-Ptah  (Memphis),  I,  341, 
342  ;  II,  68. 

Het-khebit,  II,  57. 

Het-nub,  I,  74. 

Het-Saaht,  I,  47. 

Het-Seker,  II,  362. 

Het-Sekhem,  II,  55. 

Het-Senter,  I,  74. 

Het-Serqet,  II,  343. 

Het-sutenit,  II,  53. 

Het  Tetet  at  Busiris,  I,  46. 

Hettut  Apes,  II,  353. 

Het-urt,  II,  51. 

Heymans,  Father,  II,  no. 

Hidden  Land,  I,  162;  II,  279. 

Hidden-soul,  II,  75. 

HierakonpoHs,  II,  55. 

Hieroglyphics,  inventor  of,  II, 
290. 

Hiller  de  Gaertringen,  F.,  I,  289. 

Hinde,  Mr.,  I,  192. 

Hip,  amulets  for,  I,  286. 

Hippopotamus,  I,  367 ;  II,  140, 
182  ;  oil  of,  I,  284. 

Hippopotamus-goddess,  II,  56, 
160. 

Hohnel,  L.  von,  I,  239 ;  II,  258. 

Hoho,  I,  367. 

Hollis,  Mr.,  quoted,  I,  321,  325, 


339,  366,  382;  II,  127,  132, 
i35>  146,  150,  185,  186,  212, 
213,  220-227,  246,  249,  252, 
257,  258. 

Holy  Oils,  the  Seven,  II,  218. 

Holy  water,  II,  182. 

Homage,  payment  of,  I,  244. 

Honey,  I,  172,  255;  II,  264; 
offerings  of,  I,  290. 

Hor,  magician,  II,  180. 

Horapollo,  I,  25. 

Horns,  magic,  I,  393  ;  on  grave, 
I,  402. 

Horoscope,  II,  181. 

Horses,  sacrificed  at  grave,  I,  227. 

Horsehair,  tails  of,  I,  240. 

Horus,  I,  12,  17,  22,  61,  68,  77, 
95»  98,  105,  114,  119,  126,  127, 
129,   149,   234,  251,   288,  305, 

309,  319,  328,  334,  335.  350. 
378,  400;  II,  8,  10,  20,  27,  41, 
44,  48,  50.  63,  65,  84,  119, 
167,  171,  172,  185,  224,  233, 
234>  239,  242,  250,  259,  262, 
307,  308,   314,  316,  320,  324, 

325.  332,  339,  342,  345.  353. 
362. 

Horus,  Aat  of,  I,  98. 

Horus  =  Apollo,  I,  11. 

Horus,  assists  Osiris  on  the  Lad- 
der, I,  125;  avenges  his  father, 
I,  79;  how  and  when  begotten, 
I,  19,  92,  280;  II,  78;  birth 
of,  I,  301 ;  coronation  of,  I, 
311;  II,  66;  dismemberment 
of,  I,  9 ;  death  of,  I,  63  ;  buries 
Osiris  with  ceremonies,  I,  72  ff., 
81;  Domains  of,  I,  80;  Eyes 
of,  I,  63 ;  gives  his  Eye  to 
Osiris,  I,  88 ;  Followers  of,  I, 
161  ;  the  Four  Sons  of,  I,  3, 
40,  71,  327;  II,  335;  his  fight 
with    Typhon,    I,    8 ;    alleged 


Index 


395 


illegitimacy  of,  I,  8,  311;  killed 
by  Titans,  I,  13  ;  makes  Thoth 
bring  Set  to  Osiris,  I,  27  ;  opens 
the  mouth  of  Osiris,  II,  41  ; 
reared  at  Butus,  I,  7 ;  revivifies 
Osiris,  I,  82  ;  sets  up  the  Lad- 
der, I,  75 ;  slays  Set,  I,  88 ; 
stung  by  scorpions,  I,  96  ;  wipes 
deceased  after  bathing,  I,  129; 
with  finger  in  his  mouth,  I, 
141;  two  fingers  of,  I,  117; 
saliva  of,  I,  159  ;  sandal  of,  I, 
141;  ladder  of,  II,  309;  Nine 
bows  of,  I,  142, 

Horus  of  Aru,  I,  146. 

Horus  of  Behutet,  I,  381. 

Horus  of  Edfti,  I,  254. 

Horus  of  the  east,  I,  116,  130;  II, 

58,  310- 
Horus  of  the  gods,  II,  310,  316. 
Horus  of  Nekhen,  II,  357. 
Horus  of  the  north,  II,  333. 
Horus  of  Sekhem,  I,  155. 
Horus  of  Shest,   I,    130;  11,310, 

320. 
Horus  of  Tat,  II,  333, 
Horus  of  the  Tuat,  I,   106,   159  ; 

II,  310,  320,  326. 
Horus  of  the  west,  II,  54. 
Horus  the  babe,  II,  327,  334. 
Horus  the  child,  I,  141. 
Horus  the  great,  I,  43. 
Horus  Khent-ment-f,  I,  154. 
Horus-Sept,  I,  93,  106. 
Horus,    "  son  of  Isis  and  Osiris," 

I,  46,  64. 
Horus-brethren,  II,  70. 
Horus-gods,  the  two,  I,  114,  143. 
Horus-name,  I,  34. 
Hostile  faces,  I,  112. 
Hottentot  Venus,  II,  230. 
Hour-gods,  hour-goddesses,  II,  32, 

34. 


Hours,  chief  of,  I,  112. 

House  of  books,  I,  93. 

House  of  coolness,  II,  67. 

House  of  fire,  II,  277. 

House  of  gold,  II,  35,  335. 

House  of  Keb,  II,  78. 

House  of  life,  I,  142. 

House  of  hon  and  hawk,  II,  318, 

319- 
House  of  north,  II,  i6. 
House  of  obelisk,  II,  54. 
House  of  prince  in  An,  I,  136,  166. 
House  of  Ruruta,  II,  313. 
House  of  silence,  I,  52. 
House  of  the  south,  II,  16. 
House  of  stars,  13  and  8,  II,  361. 
Houses,  the  two,  I,  142. 
Hu,   god,   I,   IIS,    144,   319;  11, 

32?)  355  j    how  begotten    and 

born,  I,  65. 
Hu,  ocean-god,  I,  367. 
Human  Leopard  Society,  II,  80. 
Human  sacrifice,  I,  197  ff. ;  II,  265. 
Hunefer,  I,  92  ;  II,  19;  hymn  of, 

II,  707  ;  papyrus  of,  I,   19,  20, 

41,  54,  327;  II,  97- 

Hunger,  destroyed  by  Ahu,  I, 
102;  of  deceased,  I,  131. 

Hunt,  goddess,  I,  146. 

Hunters,  primitive,  I,  170;  offer- 
ings of,  I,  294. 

Hunting,  I,  352  ;  II,  187. 

Hunting  charm,  I,  183. 

Husbandry,  I,  11. 

Hut,  the  African,  I,  247. 

Hutchinson,  Mr.,  I,  184,  227;  II, 
226. 

Hyena,  I,  116;  eats  the  dead,  I, 
167  ;  talks  and  wears  spec- 
tacles, II,  139. 

Hyena-god,  I,  377. 

Hymns  of  praise,  I,  256,  397  ; 
to  ancestors,  I,  292. 


39^ 


Index 


Hyphene  palm,  II,  289. 
Hypnotism,  II,  184. 
Hypselis,  II,  55. 


Ibanza,  I,  368. 

Ibex,  I,  284. 

Ibibio,  I,  228. 

Ibis,  II,  35,  207. 

Ibn  Batiitah,  quoted,  I,  177,  178, 

225;  II,  230. 
Ibo,  I,  228,    366,   381;  II,    151, 

227,   267;  Other  World  of,  II, 

165  ;  week  of  the,  I,  227. 
Ibrahimawa,  I,  182. 
Ibunu,  II,  191. 
Ibuti,  I,  189. 
Iconography  of  Osiris,  I,  44  ff. ;  of 

Isis,  II,  281. 
Idol,  I,  262  ;  of  the  Fan,  I,  238  ; 

with    movable    head,    I,    293 ; 

worship,  I,  293;  idols,  II,  198. 
Idolatry,  I,  i  4;  II,  197. 

Ifa,  I,  373- 

Ife,  I,  229,  374. 

Igarra,  II,  227. 

Iguana  serpent,  II,  197. 

Iha,  I,  155. 

Ikasa,  I,  326. 

I-kher-nefert,  II,  45  ff. 

Ilaga,  II,  153. 

He  Orisha,  I,  374. 

Illegitimacy    of    Horus   asserted, 

1,8. 
Ill  luck,  II,  186. 
Ilogo,  I,  392. 
Images  of  wax,  I,  212. 
Imbangala,  I,  320. 
Imbi,  I,  370. 
Imhoof,  II,  285. 
Immortality,  I,  305  ;  doctrine  of, 

II,  116  fF.  ;  reward  of,  I,  11. 
Impaling,  II,  227. 


Impotence,  I,  285. 

Incantations,  I,   170,  282. 

Incarnation  of  Osiris,  I,  60. 

Incense,  I,  143,  150,  158,  255  ; 
II,  255,  360  ;  carries  prayer, 
II,    175  ;    offering   of,    I,    257, 

259- 
Incorruption,  II,  346. 
Incurables  cured  by  Isis,  I,  13. 
India,  I,  11. 
Indigo  dye,  I,  326 ;    on  hair  and 

eyebrows,  I,  390. 
Ineb,  I,  363. 
Infibulation,  II,  223. 
Initiation,      ceremonies     of,      II, 

301  ff. ;  dance,  I,  243. 
Inlaga,  I,  365. 
Insisa,  land  of  the,  II,  122. 
Insolence,  sin  of,  I,  342. 
Intercourse  with   dead,    II,    180, 

183. 
Intestines  of  Osiris,  II,  47,  131. 
Intimidation,  a  sin,  I,  341. 
Inundation,  goddesses  of,  II,  33. 
Invisibility,     claim     laid    to,    II, 

189. 
Invocations  to  Osiris  by  Isis  and 

Nephthys,  II,  34,  41  ff. 
lo,  II,  295. 
los.  Island  of,  II,  289. 
Ipin  ijeum,  II,  122. 
Ipo-oko,  II,  254. 
Ipori,  II,  122. 
Ireqai,  II,  174. 
Iron,  fetish,  I,  299,  367  ;  ropes  of, 

I,    105;    throne    of,     I,     150; 

associated  with  Set,  I,  102. 
Iron-god,  I,  373. 
Irukowa,  II,  184. 
Isaac,  Mr.,  I,  260. 
Ishishemi,  I,  293  ;  II,  184. 
Ishtar,  I,  5. 
Ishungui,  II,  194. 


Index 


397 


Isis,  goddess,  I,  5,  40,  43,  45,  61, 
71,  75,  77,  81,  84,86,87,  88, 
92,    117,    124,    126,   132,    133, 

135.  136,  i45>  147.  148,  164, 
279,   288,   319,   350,  352,  373, 

387  ;  II,  I,  7,  20,  66,  68,  71, 
134,  172,  213,  214,  224,  250, 
307,  325.  327.  331.  336,  337. 
343.  352,  356  ;  administers 
kingdom  of  Osiris,  I,  2  ;   air  of, 

I,  103;  amulet  of,  II,  37,  38; 
and  crocodile-god,  1, 13  ;  poisons 
Ra,  II,  173,  231  ;  appears  in 
dreams,  I,  13  ;  beheaded,  I,  9  ; 
buckle  of,  II,  199  ;  builds 
sanctuaries  for  Osiris,  I,  99 ; 
=  Ceres,  I,  9 ;  charged  with 
harlotry,  I,  311  ;  has  com- 
passion for  Typhon,  I,  8  ;  con- 
ceives Horus,  I,  93 ;  II,  78 ; 
cow-headed,  I,  8 ;  meaning  of 
her  name,  I,  9;  =  Earth,  I, 
15;  emblem  of,  II,  298; 
festivals  of,  II,  296 ;  figures 
of,  I,  301  ;  fingers  of,  I,  5  ; 
goes  to  Byblos,  I,  7  ;  goddess 
of  harvest,  I,  10;  history  of,  II, 
271  ff.;  by  Maternus,  I,  14  ;  in 
form  of  hawk,  II,  41  ;  of 
swallow,    I,    6 ;    inscription  to, 

II,  289  ff ;  invocations  to  Osiris, 
II,  44  ff. ;   Lamentations  of,  I, 

388  ;  II,  60 ;  mysteries  of,  I, 
15  ;  name  of,  I,  25;  II,  277  ; 
odour  of,  I,  5  ;  revivifies  Osiris, 
II,  232  ;  services  of,  II,  295  ; 
Festival  songs  of,  I,  388 ;  spells 
of,  II,  78,  157;  statue  in 
Nubia,  II,  284  ;  the  symbol  of 
life,  II,  306  ;  tomb  of,  I,  12; 
thighs  of,  I,  118;  II,  311; 
union  with  Osiris  after  death,  I, 
9;  II,  84;  uterus  of,  I,  276; 
VOL.  II. 


wanderings  of,  IT,  275;  vagina 
of,  I,  276 ;  her  worship  in 
foreign  countries,  II,  286  ff. 

Isis,  the  Everlasting  Mother,  II, 
306. 

Isis,  the  Queen,  II,  288. 

Isis,  the  Moon,  I,  9. 

Isis-Sept,  I,  59. 

Isis-Sothis,  I,  59,  384;  II,  278. 

Isiskme,  II,  261. 

Islam,I,  36i,376jJI,  121, 170,260. 

Island,  the  enchanted,  II,  236. 

Island  of  Andros,  II,  289. 

Island  of  Fire,  I,  in. 

Island  of  los,  II,  289. 

Island  of  Khemmis,  II,  58. 

Island  of  Meroe,  II,  284,  285. 

Island  of  Osiris,  I,  313. 

Island  of  Philae,  II,  284. 

Island  of  Sahal,  I,  176. 

Island  of  Sasa,  I,  in,  120. 

Island  of  Senemtet,  II,  281. 

Island  of  Serser,  I,  in. 

Island  of  the  Earth,  II,  324. 

Island  (Islands)  of  the  Blessed,  I, 
98,  319. 

Islands  of  Mediterranean,  II,  285. 

Islands,  the  Sesse,  I,  292. 

Isodzi,  II,  184. 

Italy,  II,  292,  293  ;  worship  of 
Isis  in,  286. 

Ithyphallic  god,  I,  44. 

Ituri  dwarfs,  I,  244. 

luau,  papyrus  of,  I,  39,  40,  318; 

II.  15.  17,  97- 
lusaas,  II,  326. 
Ivavi,  II,  153. 
Ivory  coast,  I,  187. 
Ivory  horn,  I,  396. 
Ivory  tusks,  the  9  and  33,  I,  292. 
Ivy  planted  by  Osiris,  I,  11. 
Iwin,  II,  125. 
lyanza,  I,  368. 

2    D 


398 


Index 


Jablonski,  I,  25. 

Jackal,  I,  146,  154,  306;  II,  338; 
of  south,  II,  213,  331. 

Jackal  gods,  II,  359. 

Jackal,  lake  of,  I,  117  ;  II,  316. 

Jackals  (spirits),  II,  332. 

Jaga  country,  II,  118. 

Jagga,  I,  295,  363. 

Jahiliyah,  II,  121. 

Jalas,  II,  185. 

Jaloo,  I,  391. 

Jamkingo,  II,  185. 

Jangaes,  II,  204. 

Jannequin,  C.,  I,  225;  II,  206. 

Janus,  I,  367. 

Jar-sealing,  I,  32. 

Jaw-bone,  cut  out,  II,  102  ;  and 
ghost,  II,  95. 

Jaw-bones,  II,  91,  92  ;  of  Osiris, 
I,  387  ;  II,  48. 

Jaw  umbrella,  II,  92. 

Jebel  (Byblos),  I,  4. 

Jero,  I,  377. 

Jesters,  I,  396. 

Jesus,  son  of  Sirach,  I,  379. 

Jews,  II,  218. 

Jiggers,  II,  36. 

Johnson,  Broadwood,  I,  181. 

Johnston,  Sir  H.,  I,  172,  187,  191, 
230.  237,  243,  245,  269,  270, 
278,  290,  292,  302,  320,  321, 
324,  325.  326,  349»  361,  362, 
374,  375,  377,  381,  402;  II, 
86,  88,  100,  loi,  103,  105,  108, 
125,  135,  143,  155,  159,  167, 
170,  184,  189,  191,  192,  205, 
208,  212,  215,  220,  221,  222, 
227,  232,  235,  237,  240,  247, 
251,  253,  260,  261,  262, 
265. 

Jo-uk,  I,  259,  376,  402. 

Joujou,  II,  185. 

Jove,  I,  374. 


Joyce,    Mr.    T.   A.,    I,    245,  325, 

349;  II,  no,  122,  132,  192. 
Ju,  I,  376. 
Juapa,  I,  322. 
Judgment  hall  of  Osiris,  I,  315  ; 

II,  173- 
Judgment     scene     described,    I, 

318  ff . ;    the  Great  Judgment, 

I,  314  ff. 
Jugglers,  II,  183. 
Juiga  graves,  II,  88. 
Juju,  I,  226  ;   =  egugu  "idol,"  I, 

274. 
Juju  drink,  I,  339. 
Juju  houses,  I,  381. 
Juju  men  (priests),    I,    184;   II, 

185,  225. 
Juju  snake,  II,  238. 
Jumping-god,  I,  377. 
Junker,    Dr.,    I,    167,    180,    226, 

268,    278,    322,   349  ;  II,   139, 

192,  246,  266. 
Juno,  I,  212  ;  II,  287. 
Juno-Isis,  II,  288. 
Jupiter,  I,  117  ;  II,  250,  251,  341. 
J<lr  tribes,  I,  400. 
Justified,  I,  343. 
Justinian,  II,  284,  285,  306. 


Ka,  the  Double,  I,  333;  II,  117; 
abode  of  the,  I,  254;  Ka-i-Ba 
-i-Khaibit,  II,  134;  Ka-f-Ba 
-HSekhem,  II,  133;  figures,  II, 
118,  268;  chapel,  II,  268; 
comes  to  its  body,  I,  117;  eats 
bread,  I,  152;  Ka-god,  I,  130; 
Ka-house,  I,  6i  ;  of  Horus,  I, 
136;  of  Osiris,  I,  390;  II,  60, 
65,  66 ;  Ka-servant,  II,  169  ; 
soul  of  the,  II,  128. 

Kaarta  war,  II,  249. 

Kabba  Rega,  I,  235. 


Index 


399 


Kabezya-Mpungu,    I,    374 ;     II, 

145- 
Kabiure,  II,  254. 
Kagole,  I,  377. 
Ka-hetep,  I,  84,  133,  139. 
Kakaa,  I,  279,  397  ;  II,  24. 
Kakkarakka,  I,  178. 
Kakoma,  II,  254. 
Kakua,  II,  184. 
Kalabshah,  II,  284. 
Kalesa,  II,  184. 
Kalijas,  II,  160. 
Kalika,  I,  226. 
Kaliro,  II,  184. 
Kamasia,  I,  260. 
Kambuzi,  II,  184. 
Kamiantumbe,  II,  184. 
Kamrasi,  king  of  Unyoro,  I,  235, 

236 ;  II,    162,   264 ;  burial   of, 

II,    97 ;    his   stout    wives,    II, 

230. 
Kamt  (Egypt),  II,  71. 
Kam-ur,  I,  137  ;  II,  336. 
Kamt-urt,  I,  137  ;  II,  336. 
Ka-mut-f,  I,  289. 
Ka-nekht,  II,  277. 
Kankano  Gallas,  I,  194. 
Kapufi,  II,  185,  231. 
Kaqemna,  I,  350. 
Karagu^,    I,    393,    395;    II,    99, 

231. 
Karei,  I,  397. 
Karamojo,  grave  of,  II,  87. 
Karuma  Falls,  II,  260. 
Kasaika  Arethikasathika,  II,  174. 
Kasendi  ceremony,  I,  185. 
Kasota,  II,  184. 
Kasuja,  II,  244. 
Kasut,  Bull-god,  I,  75. 

Kas ut,  II,  362. 

Kataui,  II,  264. 

Katchiba  of  Obbo,  I,    234,   235, 

362;  II,  205,  257. 


Katikiro,  II,  244. 

Kitinda,  I,  377. 

Katonda,  I,  376. 

Kavirondo,  I,  172;  II,  184,  259; 

ancestor-worship     of,     I,    293 ; 

tattuing  of,  I,  325. 
Kaumpuli,  I,  377. 
Kauri   shells,    I,    236 ;    the    108, 

I,  292,    323 ;    II,    92;    the   9, 

II,  184. 
Kawagi,  I,  377. 
Kay  a,  I,  294. 
Kazoba,  I,  376,  382. 

Keb,  the  Earth-god,  I,  2,  3,  9,  26, 
71,  79,  84,  87,  88,  89,  92,  94, 
105,  106,  108,  no,  113,  114, 
120,    124,   125,    126,   130,   132, 

133.  136,  137,  138,  139.  140. 
141,  142,  144,  151,  153,  158, 
160,  165,  166,  265,  319,  373; 
II.  45.  54,  66,  71,  76,  77,  262, 
274,  277,  278,  290,  307,  308, 
311,  314,  315,  319,  322,  324, 
327.  329.  33^,  334,  336,  337. 
343,  345,  348,  351,  352,  357; 
brow  of,  II,  326;  gates  of,  II, 

313- 
Keb  Re-pan,  II,  352. 
Keepers   of    Gates    in   Tuat,    II, 

159- 
Kehset,  II,  314. 
Kek,  I,  280. 
Keni,  I,  245. 
Ken  Aka,  II,  333. 
Kenemti,  I,  342. 
Kenemu-gods,  I,  119. 
Kenhesu  bird,  II,  315. 
Kenkab,  II,  221. 
Kenmut,   I,    131,    342 ;    II,    328, 

342. 
Kenset  (Nubia),  I,  102,  103,  163; 

II,  320,  326,  329,  348. 
Kent,  goddess,  I,  289. 

2    D    2 


400 


Index 


Kenya,  Mount,  I,  366. 

Kerk-shet,  II,  351. 

Kerkubaf,  II,  357. 

Kes  (Cusae),  II,  24. 

Ketem,  II,  356. 

Kha,  lake  of,  I,  117,  125,  133; 
II,  320,  336  ;  meadow  of,  II, 
316. 

Kha-eni-Maat  boat,  II,  7,  8. 

Kha-em-Uas,  II,  180. 

Khaibit,  II,  126. 

Khargah,  II,  219,  254. 

Khartum,  II,  154,  239. 

Khat,  body,  II,  134. 

Khatim,  II,  193. 

Khat-Nut,  I,  154. 

Khebit,  II,  58. 

Kheftiu-Asar,  I,  206. 

Kheft-Ta,  II,  324. 

Khemenu,  I,  340  ;  II,  56,  75. 

Khemmis,  Island  of,  II,  58. 

Khenah,  I,  133. 

Khenem  stone,  II,  40. 

Khenemet-urt,  I,  158. 

Khennu,  II,  342. 

Khensu,  I,  76,  289,  353,  372;  II, 
172,  i90»  31 1»  333;  the  Mes- 
senger, I,  120. 

Khensu-Sept,  I,  125. 

Khent,  King,  II,  13,  83,  84; 
tomb  of,  I,  10;  II,  8,  9. 

Khent  Amenti,  Khenti  Amenti, 
Khent  Amentiu,  I,  31  ff.,  37, 
40,  67,  104,  133,  288,  290, 
320,  354;  II.  2,  4,  321,  358; 
model   of,    II,    22 ;    mould   of, 

11,  30. 
Khent  Atert,  II,  322,  323,  336. 
Khent-em-Semti,  II,  4. 
Khenti  liet-Asart,  I,  48. 
Khent-menti,  a  god,  I,  140,  155. 
Khent-ment-f,  II,  349. 
Khent-menu,  II,  55.^ 


Khent-merti,  I,  106,-151,  157;  II, 

326,  349,  358,  363- 
Khent-n-Merti,  I,  151. 
Khent  Per-sepent,  I,  48. 
Khentchui,  II,  349. 
Kheper,  I,  114. 
Khepera,  I,  86,  222,  35i\;lU,  35, 

36,  157,  158,  172,  289,1353. 
Kheprer,    I,    160 ;  II,    326,    340, 

350,  354,  355,  362,  363. 
Kher-aha,  I,  340  ;  II,  58,  68,  158, 

Kher-heb,   I,   222,   282,  379 ;  II, 
47,    66,    170,    175,    176,    185, 

195- 
Kher-neter,  II,  160,  319. 
Khersek-Shu,  I,  315. 
Kherserau,  II,  174. 
Khert  Khent  Sekhem,  II,  333. 
Kheti  serpent,  I,  206 ;  II,  233. 
Khetiu-ta,  II,  241. 
Khetkhet,  I,  340. 
Kheviosa,  I,  367. 
Khnemet-urt,  I,  67,  138;  II,  351. 
Khnem-nefer,  I,  333. 
Khnemu,  I,  333,  354 ;  II,  54,  55, 

161,  171,  329. 
Khoiak,    II,   22,   23,   26,   27,  28, 

29. 
Khu  +  Ba  +  Khaibit,  |  Khu  +  Ba  4- 

Ka,  II,  133. 
Khu,  the  imperishable,  II,!i33. 
Khu-am-tchenteru,  II,  353. 
Khufu,  I,  34;  II,  179. 
Khut,  I,  72,  114,  133,1136. 
Khuti,  I,  164. 
Kibuga,  II,  92,377. 
Kibuka,  war-god,  II,  95. 
Kici,  I,  370. 
Kideye,  II,  loi. 
Kidongi,  II,  185. 
Kigala,  god  of  the  dead,  I,  377. 
KigeHa  tree,  II,  190. 


Index 


401 


Kigula,  II,  184, 

Kilinga  bird,  II,  i88. 

Kimbugwe,  II,  95. 

Kimenya,  dwarf,  I,  235. 

King,  his  absolutism,  II,  161  ;   as 

god,   II,    162;   election  of,  II, 

244;   offences  against,  I,  314; 

cursing  of,  I,  342  ;  the  vicar  of 

God,  I,  256;    burial  of,  I,  167  ; 

divine  right  of,  II,  263, 
King  of  the  crocodiles,  II,  239 ; 

of  the  devils,  II,  193. 
Kingdom  of  Osiris,  II,  158  ;  of  the 

Tuat,  II,  159. 
Kingsley,  Miss,  I,  173,  226,   227, 

272,  277,  340,  370,   381,  395  ; 

II,  80,  88,  122,   127,   136,   142, 

144,  147.  151.  153.  165,  168, 
185,  206.  213,  224,  226,  237, 
238,  240,  246,  247,  264,  265, 
266. 

Kini-kini-kini,  II,  243. 

Kinship,  I,  216. 

Kintu,  II,  145,  184. 

Kipsakeiyot,  II,  186. 

Kiptakchat,  II,  186. 

Kipungut,  II,  186. 

Kirongo,  II,  184. 

Kisalumkaba,  II,  184. 

Kisoona,  I,  362. 

Kitambumbuire,  I,  377. 

Kitako,  II,  184. 

Kitete,  I,  322. 

Kitiko,  II,  184. 

Kitinda,  I,  377. 

Kitwangi,  I,  268. 

Kiwanka,  I,  377. 

Kizangu,  II,  118. 

Kizito,  I,  377. 

Kla  =  kra  =  ka  "  double,"  II, 
121. 

Kneeling  parturition,  I,  304. 

Knives,  I,  343  ;  II,  40. 


Knivet,  I,  178. 

Knots,  II,  25  ;  as  amulets,  I,  286, 

287. 
Knuckle  bones,  II,  190  ;  divining 

with,  II,  291. 
Koeidabo,  Lake,  II,  208. 
Kohler,  II,  286. 
Kokofu,  I,  228. 
Kola,  I,  376. 
Kollo,  I,  376. 
Koma,  spirit,  I,  294. 
Kom  Ombo,  II,  284. 
Koon,  II,  291. 
Kordofin,  I,   286;  II,   192,    204, 

222  ;  superstitions  of,  I,  285. 
Kormoso  Gallas,  I,  194. 
Kota  tree,  II,  188. 
Kottor-krabah,  II,  228. 
Kpase,  I,  367. 
Kpate,  I,  367. 
Kpo,  I,  367. 
Kpwesi,  II,  265. 
Kra  =  ka,  II,  121. 
Krapf,  Dr.,  I,  194,  270,  294,  363, 

366;  II,   162,    206,    221,    238, 

260,  266. 
Kronos,  I,  9 ;  II,  290. 
Kruboys,  I,  187,  260. 
Kubbat  Idris,  I,  286. 
Kubban,  I,  397. 
Kiihne,  I,  228,  229  ;  II,  92. 
Kunda,  I,  178. 
Kur'in,  II,  121,  204,  255;  used 

as  an  amulet,  I,  283. 
Kfirkonga,  I,  375. 
KAmah,  I,  379. 
Kuskus,  II,  230. 
Kutamen,  I,  368;  II,  166. 
Kwamina,  I,  228. 
Kwango,  I,  187,  320. 
Kwango-Kivilu,  II,  122. 
Kwat  Wad  Aweibung,  II,  154. 
Kwili-Kasai,  II,  221. 


402 


Index 


Kwoffi    Karri-kari,    I,    228  ;    II, 

266. 
Kytch  tribes,  I,  403  ;  II,  205. 

Labbe,  II,  284. 

Labia  majora  and  minora,  II, 
222,  223. 

Lacau,  I,  25. 

Lacerations,  I,  15. 

Ladder  to  heaven,  I,  75,  124,  130 ; 
II,  167,  311,  330,  339,  362, 
363  ;  Lord  of  the,  I,  77  ; 
models  of,  II,  167  ;  name  of 
Osiris,  I,  125;  of  the  god,  I, 
76;  II,  309;  of  Horus,  I,  76; 
II,  309;  of  Osiris,  I,  125;  of 
Ra,  I,   119;  of  Set,  I,  76;  II, 

309- 
Lafaye,  II,  286. 
Lagoon-god,  I,  373. 
Laibanok,  II,  260. 
Lake  Asken,  II,  323. 
Lake  Bemba,  II,  264. 
Lake  Divine,  II,  17. 
Lake  Koeidabo,  II,  208. 
Lake  Mena,  I,  164. 
Lake  Moeris,  II,  180. 
Lake  Nyassa,  I,  180. 
Lake  Petchtu,  II,  213. 
Lake  Victoria,   I,    98,    180,    293, 

377;  II,  184. 
Lake  of  Aaru,  I,  129 ;  II,  338. 
Lake  of  Flowers,  II,  131. 
Lake  of  Fire,   I,    202,    329,   337, 

346;  II,  81,  146,  262. 
Lake  of  Gifts,  II,  328. 
Lake  of  Hetem,  II,  328. 
Lake  of  Heteptiu,  I,  162. 
Lake  of  Kenset,  II,  329,  348. 
Lake  of  Kensta,  II,  320. 
Lake  of  Kha,   I,    117,    125,    133, 

154;   n,   320,   322,  328,    337, 

340,  348,  361. 


Lake  of  Khaa,  I,  130. 

Lake  of  Life,  II,  356. 

Lake  of  Nether,  II,  320. 

Lake  of  Pet,  II,  324. 

Lake  of  the  Petchet,  I,  154  ;  II,  38. 

Lake  of  Peterta,  II,  320. 

Lake  of  Qeblj,  II,  356. 

Lake  of  Reeds,  II,  330. 

Lake  of  Sehseh,  I,  164. 

Lake  of  the  Smen  goose,  II,  348. 

Lake  of  the  Jackal,   I,  117;   II, 

316,  322. 
Lake,  or  lakes,  of  Tat,   II,   322, 

339- 

Lake  of  Tatta,  II,  357. 

Lake  of  the  Tuat,  I,  117  ;  II,  316, 
321,  348. 

Lame,  made  to  walk,  I,  13. 

Lamentations  of  Isis  and  Nephthys, 
I,  388,  389;  II,  59,  270,  312. 

Lamp,  I,  135  ;  lighted  by  Isis  and 
Nephthys,  II,  46. 

Lamp,  named  Osiris-Ra,  II,  68. 

Lamps,  II,  26 ;  the  365,  II,  28. 

Land  personified,  I,  373. 

Land  of  the  Dead,  II,  164;  of 
fish,  I,  63;  of  Ru,  II,  314;  of 
Sekri,  II,  18;  of  spirits,  I,  232. 

Lane-Poole,  S.,  I,  177. 

Lanzone,  I,  43,  50,  280;  II,  210, 
281. 

Lares,  II,  153. 

Latopolis,  II,  56. 

Latuka,  I,  172,  234,  362;  tails  of 
the,  II,  209. 

Launching  of  the  ships,  II,  299. 

Lauth,  II,  21, 

Laver,  II,  361. 

Law,  obligation  of,  I,  315  ;  purifi- 
cation of,  II,  222  ;  sins  against, 

I,  338. 
Laws,  codified  by  Isis,  I,  10;  II, 
290 ;  by  Osiris,  I,  2. 


Index 


403 


Leaf  tails,  II,  208. 

Leake,  Mr.,  II,  285. 

Leather  aprons  and  tails,  II,  208, 

209. 
Ledrain,  I,  94 ;  II,  75. 
Leemans,  Dr.,  I,  25. 
Lefebure,  E.,  I,  62,  210,  352;  II, 

12,  13,  173,  232. 
Left  side  lucky,  II,  184. 
Leg,  mystic,  I,  345. 
Legba,  I,  369. 
Leila  M'Barka,  II,  193. 
Lemm,  O.  von,  I,  250. 
Lendu,  I,  220,  268;  II,  221,  292, 

burial,  II,   102  ;  graves,  II,  87  ; 

women  of  the,  I,  304. 
Leonard,  Major  A.  G.,  I,  185,  227, 

261,   274,   296,   332,   381  ;    II, 

104,   139,    140,    151,   165,   185, 

192,    197,    226,   228,  261,   268, 

367.  377- 
Leopard,    II     188 ;    skin   of,    II, 

Leopard-goddess,  II,  326. 

Lepidotus,  I,  7,  387. 

Lepsius,    I,  34,   206 ;  II,  5,   260, 

263. 
Lesa-god,  I,  293. 
Lesbos,  II,  285. 

Letopolis,  I,  340;  II,  12,  75,362. 
Letronne,  II,  284. 
Letters,  invention  of,  I,  10. 
Leyden,  II,  211. 
Li,  Lisa,  I,  367. 
Liana  creeper,  II,  261. 
Libation-slab,  I,  270. 
Libations  of  the  stars,  I,  270. 
Liberia,  I,  187,  260  ;  II,  193. 
Library  at  Heliopolis,  II,  14. 
Libya,  II,  33,  283. 
Libyans,  II,  163. 
Lies,  II,  69. 
Life  amulet,  I,  155. 


Life,   fluid  of,   I,    135,   138,  142  ; 

n,  335- 
Life,  house  of,  I,  142. 
Life-soul,  II,  136. 
Life-symbol,  I,  47. 
Life,  tree  of,  II,  327. 
Life  in  offerings,  I,  262. 
Light,  kindling  of  a,  I,  250. 
Light-god,    I,    378;  II,  69,    139, 

167. 
Lightning,  I,  362,  371,  374;  man 

killed  by,  II,  in  ;  spirit  in,  I, 

294. 
Lightning-god,  I,  373,  377. 
Lily,  I,  III,  327. 
Linen  apparel,  II,  176;  chest,  II, 

26  ;  sacred,  II,  29. 
Lion,  II,    140,  179;  and  goddess 

Kent,    I,    289 ;  heart    of,    II, 

132. 
Lioness-goddess,  I,  340. 
Lion-gods,  the  Two,  I,  340,  143  ; 

II,  171. 
Lips,  anointed,  II,  loi. 
Lips  of  Osiris,  I,  387  ;  II,  48. 
List  of  offerings,  the  Great  and 

Little,  I,  262  ;  II,  269. 
Litter  sent  to  Sfidan,  II,  180. 
Little  Oasis,  II,  223. 
Liturgy,  II,  30;  of  Unas,  I,  loi ; 

of  funerary   offerings,    I,    252; 

II,  97. 
Liver,  human,  eaten,  I,  182. 
Livers  of  the  dead  eaten,  I,  194. 
Livingstone,  Dr.,  I,  185,  204,  260 

272,  273,    277,    278,    280,   297, 

325,  331.  349,  361,  363,  364, 
382,  393  ;  II,  88,  144,  145,  162, 
216,  221,  233,  246,  253,  255, 
328 ;  his  body  eviscerated  and 
dried,  II,  264. 

Liyanza,  I,  374. 

Lizards,  II,  187. 


404 


Index 


Loando,  II,  223. 

Loango,  I,  293;  II,  105. 

Lo  Bengula,  I,  391,  397. 

Locusts,  II,  236. 

Locustids,  II,  236. 

Logoteta,  II,  286. 

Logun  sinsi,  I,  240. 

Loin-cloth,  II,  no,  185,  195,  207, 

359- 
Lokele,  II,  191. 
Loma  =  God,  I,  361. 
Lomani,  I,  320. 
Lord  of  the  air  (Osiris),  I,  345. 
Lord  of  Green   fields,  a    bull   of 

Temu,  I,  144. 
Lord  of  Heaven  (Osiris),  I,  308. 
Lord  of  life  (Osiris),  II,  4. 
Lord  of  silence  (Osiris),  II,  26. 
Lord   of  the   ladder,    I,    77 ;    II, 

310. 
Lord  of  the  Sky,  I,  37. 
Lord   of  Truth   (Osiris),  I,   308; 

II,  51- 
Lords  of  doubles,  I,  162. 
Lords  of  forms,  I,  114. 
Loret,  Mr.  V.,  II,  21. 
Lote  tree  of  Paradise,  II,  260. 
Lotus,  I,  40,  302. 
Loup-garou,  II,  154. 
Love,  lady  of  (Isis),  II,  277. 
Love  philtres,  II,  181,  189. 
Lower  Congo,  II,  109,  240. 
I^ower  Lulongo,  I,  322. 
Lower   Niger,    I,    184;    II,    140, 

145,  226  ;  burial  on  the,  II,  104. 
Lualaba  Congo,  I,  322. 
Luango,  I,  187. 
Luba,     I,     322  ;     II,     196,     260 ; 

burial,  II,  in. 
Lubanga,  I,  377. 
Lucian,  II,  203. 
Lucius  and  Isis,  II,  287,  299,  300, 

301. 


Luck,  I,  332,  361. 
Ludolf,  I,  362. 
Luisi,  I,  377. 
Lukamaembe,  II,  184. 
Lukedi,  II,  247. 
Lukongeb,  II,  240. 
Lule,  I,  377. 
Lulungu,  II,  265. 
Lulongo,  I,  322. 
Lulongo  River,  I,  188. 
Lulongo-Maringo,  I,  320. 
Lumbroso,  II,  286. 
Lumbui,  II,  184. 
Lunda,  I,  322,  325  ;  II,  221. 
Luwo,  II,  121. 
Luxor,  II,  119. 
L'wal  Burrajok,  I,  375. 
Lycurgus,  I,  11,  142. 
Lynx,  II,  171. 
Lynx-goddess,  II,  326. 

Maaa,  part  of  a  boat,  II,  333. 

Maa-anuf,  I,  341. 

Maa-f-ha-f,  I,  313. 

Maah,  I,  375. 

Maa-haf,    I,    118,    134,    163;  II, 

241,  327. 
Maa-kheru,  1,90,  311. 
Maat,  I,  3,  31,  106,  309,  334  ;  II, 

73,     78,     281,    291,    315,    324, 

344- 
Maat  amulet,  II,  35. 
Maat,  daughter  of  Ra,  I,  43. 
Maat,  eyes  of,  I,  315. 
Maat,  or  Maat,   boat,   II,   32,  62, 

333,  339- 
Maatef,  II,  275. 
Maatet,  I,  389. 
Maati,  goddesses  of  truth,  I,  115, 

318,  329;  II,   8,  47,   274,  291, 

334. 
Maati,   city   of,    I,   315,   341  ;  II, 

75- 


Index 


405 


Maau-taui,  I,  345. 

Mabit,  I,  341. 

Mabujwe,  I,  377. 

Macarius,  II,  182. 

Mace,  II,  337  ;  of  Narmer,  I,  35, 

36. 
Macedo,  I,  11. 
Macedon,  II,  181. 
MacGregor,  Rev.  W.,  I,  197. 
Machunda,  II,  240. 
M'Leod,  J.,  I,  225. 
Macrobius,  I,  15,  16,  18. 
Madauro,  II,  287. 
Madgo,  II,  81. 
Madyaka,  I,  178. 
Madi,  the,  I,  362 ;  II,  86,  87. 
Maftet,  I,  143. 
Maganda,  II,  184. 
Magic,  black  and  white,  II,  169. 
Magic  boat,  II,  173. 
Magic  doctor,  I,  287. 
Magic  horns,  I,  393. 
Magic,    white,    the   good   of,    II, 

177. 
Magical  papyrus,  II,  174. 
Magician,    II,     169,     170  AT. ;    the 

power  of  his  wish  and  word,  II, 

187. 
Magija  Semba,  II,  80. 
Magoburi,  I,  377. 
Mah,  papyrus  of,  I,  329. 
Mahdt,  his  prayers  used  as  charms, 

I,  285. 
Maize,  I,  185. 
Makalumbi,  II,  258. 
Makarakas,    I,    322;      II,    246; 

Makkarikas,     I,    182  ;    Makka- 

rakka,  I,  178. 
Makava,  I,  376. 

Maker  of  his  seat  (Osiris),  I,  313. 
Makhet  boat,  II,  77. 
Makhi  fetish,  I,  367. 
Makochera,  I,  364. 


Makooa,  I,  363. 
Mala-gilageh,  II,  208,  221. 
Male  Cat,  I,  367. 
Malina,  II,  152. 
Malkandros,  I,  5. 
Malta,  II,  286. 
Malunga,  I,  363. 
Mambwe,  I,  293. 
Mampoko,  I,  190. 
Man,  creation  of,  I,  376  ;  made  out 
of  clay,   I,    372  ;  origin    of,    I, 

369- 
Man-crocodile,  I,  376. 
Man-fetish,  I,  367. 
Manbattu,  I,  178,  179,  236,  322, 

326;   II,    81,    221,    257,    265 ; 

burial,  II,  109. 
Mandingoes,  II,  193,  249,  251. 
Mandwa,  II,  184. 
Maneros,  I,  7. 

Manetho,  I,  212,  397;  II,  292. 
Manga,  I,  230. 

Manioc  flour,  I,  189  ;  II,  105. 
Mankassim,  I,  372. 
Mantis,  the  legends  of,   II,    159, 

236. 
Mantchet  boat,  I,    117,   141,  164, 

165  ;    II,   324,   331,  334,    344, 

356. 
Manu,  Mount,  II,  167,  122. 
Many-eyes,  title  of  Osiris,  I,  24. 
Manyema,   I,    190,  331  ;   II,   87, 

162  ;  burial  of  the,  II,  102. 
Manzanza,  I,  178. 
Maqet,  I,  165. 
Marawi,  I,  247. 
Marcianus,  II,  284. 
Mariette,  I,  31,  46,  53,  247,  279, 

305,  308;  11,12,13,  14,  15,  19, 

216. 
Marqatha,  II,  174. 
Marriage,    II,    212;    celestial,    I, 

103  ;  in  Other  World,  II,  214 


4o6 


Index 


Mars,  II,  250. 

Marseilles,  II,  286. 

Martyrs,  I,  353. 

Mary,  the  Virgin,  I,  30  ;  II,  202, 

306. 
Mas  sceptre,  I,  146. 
Masai,  the,  I,  172,  243,  321,  339, 

366,    402;    II,    82,    135,    148, 

185,   205,    206,  220,  222,  223, 

227,    260;  dance   of,    I,    239; 

tatt^iing  of,  I,  325. 
Masawwarat,  II,  284. 
Mashonaland,  II,  140. 
Maspero,  Professor  G.,   i,  27,  90, 

loi,  175,  216,  222,  356,  359; 

II,  210. 
Massage  of  Pepi  by  Isis,  II,  336. 
Mastabah  tomb,  I,  288 ;  II,  85. 
Masturbation  of  Ra,   I,  341 ;  II, 

33°- 
Masut  crown,  I,  146,  149. 
Mat,  I,  247 ;  II,  259. 
Mat  of  Osiris  planted  with  wheat, 

I,  39,  59- 
Matabele,  I,   260,  391  ;   II,   182, 

188,  225. 
Mata  Bwiki,  I,  187. 
Matambwe,  I,  364. 
Matariyah,  I,  340. 
Matchet  boat,  I,  164. 
Materialisation,  II,  198. 
Maternus,  Julius  Firmicus,  I,  14, 

16,  18. 
Matet  boat,  I,  126. 
Mateth,  I,  306 ;  II,  340. 
Matiamvo,  I,  185. 
Matimba,  I,  178;  II,  221. 
Matlametlo,  I,  281. 
Mau,  I,  367. 

Mau,  god  of  Dahomey,  I,  368. 
Mau,  Professor,  quoted,  II,  294. 
Mawalala,  II,  249. 
Mawu,  I,  372. 


Maximinus,  II,  284. 

Maxims  of  Ani,  I,  351  ;  II,  214, 

216. 
Mayanja,  I,  377. 
Mayombai,  I,  295. 
Mbango,  I,  295. 
Mbiam  drink,  I,  339. 
Mbichos,  I,  183;  II,  258. 
Mbinda,  II,  87. 
Mbondemos,  I,  183. 
Mbondi,  II,  191. 
Mbonjeka,  I,  230. 
Mbori,  I,  374. 
Mbundu,  II,  191. 
Mbunfu,  II,  221. 
Mburo,  II,  88. 
Mbuta,  II,  220. 
Meat,  raw,  eaten,  I,  175,  192. 
Meat-offerings,  I,  262. 
Medicine,  I,  285,  391  ;  for  fetish 

horn,  I,  283  ;  to  raise  the  dead> 

I,  13;  made  from  dead  bodies^ 

II,  80. 

Medicine  bundle,  I,  269. 
Medicine  fetish,  I,  294. 
Medicine  man,  I,  243,  282,  379  ; 

II,  183,  282. 
Medicines,    discovered     by    Isis, 

I,  12 ;    of   ancient    Egypt,    I, 
284. 

Mediterranean  Sea,  I,  1-137,  177; 

II,  283,  326. 
Medum,  I,  379. 
Megalopygidae,  II,  235. 
Megara,  II,  286. 
Mehenet,  II,  16. 
Mehit,  II,  348. 

Meh-urt,  I,  113;  II,  281,  320. 
Mekes  sceptre,  I,  104 ;  II,  348. 
Mekhent  boat,  I,  116;  II,  327. 
Mekkah,  II,  159. 
Melkarth,  king  of  Byblos,  I,  5. 
Member  of  Osiris,  II,  49. 


Index 


407 


Members,  Deification  of,  II,  329, 

333- 

Members  of  Osiris,  the  14,  16,  or 
18,  I,  386  ;  II,  25. 

Memnon,  palace  of,  II,  13. 

Memphis,  I,  37,  41,  46,  58,  60, 
233.  236,  254,  340,  341,  342, 
354,  398;  11,  24,  33,  35,  56, 
66,  68,  146,  156,  212,  278,  283, 
305  ;  the  Ten  Great  Ones  of,  I, 
158;  tomb  of  Isis  at,  I,  12. 

Men  with  tails,  I,  208. 

Men,  the  Two  (Horus  and  Set), 
I,  103. 

Mena,  Lake,  I,  164. 

Menanet-urt,  I,  160. 

Menant,  II,  337. 

Menat,  I,  31,  40,  159,  323. 

Menat-urt,  I,  153. 

Menau,  I,  148. 

Mendes,  I,  212,  224;  II,  22,  24, 
27,  59,  64,  68,  74,  275,  281  ; 
ram  of,  I,  60, 

Mendis,  I,  394;  II,  252. 

Menduton,  I,  186,  187. 

Menes,  I,  397. 

Menh  sceptre,  II,  319. 

Menkaura,  I,  34,  333. 

Men-Maat-Ra,  I,  53 ;  II,  70. 

Mensa  Kuma,  I,  228. 

Mensa  Mfisa,  I,  178. 

Mensa  Suleman,  I,  177. 

Menstrual  fluid,  II,  188. 

Mentefta,  II,  314. 

Menthu,  god,  I,  254,  354 ;  II,  315, 

337- 
Menthu-hetep,  I,  333. 
Menthu-hetep,  stele  of,  I,  37 ;  II, 

12. 
Mentu  people,  I,  146. 
Mentu-her-khepesh-f,  I,  222. 
Ment-urt,  II,  313,  357. 
Menu,  god,  I,   11,  21,   166,   289, 


354 ;  II,  284  ;  a  name  of  Osiris, 

I,  141. 

Mercury,  II,  250,  297. 

Mer-en-Ptah,  I,  198. 

Merenra,  I,  248 ;  II,  7, 

Merissa,  I,  260,  376. 

Meriti  gods,  II,  56. 

Mer-Nefert,  I,  48. 

Meroe,    I,   215  ff.;    Island  of,  II, 

284  ;      pyramids    of,    II,    81  ; 

steatopygous     queens     of,    II. 

230. 
Mer-sekert,  goddess,  II,  210. 
Mert,  Merti,  goddesses,  I,  45  ;  II, 

33,  55,  315- 
Merti-f-em-^es,  I,  340. 
Mert-meht,  I,  45. 
Mert-shema,  I,  45. 
Meru,  II,  184. 
Mer-ur  (Moeris),  II,  56,  57. 
Mesekhti,  II,  250. 
Mes-em-neter,  papyrus  of,  I,  34. 
Mesentiu,  II,  185. 
Meskhenet,  Meskhenit,  I,  47,  332  ; 

II,  34,  94. 

Mesqet,  the,  I,  165;  region  of,  I, 

116. 
Messages     sent     by    spirits,     II, 

151- 
Messenger,  of  Aqa,  I,  103  ;  of  Ra, 

II,  340 ;   of  the  God,  II,  330 ; 

of  the  two  gods,  I,  112. 
Messenger-god,  I,  146. 
Messengers,  II,  153. 
Mestet,  II,  275. 
Mestetef,  II,  275. 
Meta,  II,  347- 
Metal  workers,  II,  185. 
Metcha,  11,  36. 
Metchet,  II,  54. 
Metchet-at,    daughter   of  Ra,    II, 

360. 
Metempsychosis,  II,  166. 


4o8 


Index 


Metternich,  Prince,  stele  of,  I,  17, 

95.  96,  303;  II.  172,  274. 
Mfumu,  I,  237. 
Middle  Kwango,  I,  320. 
Miiriniya,  Mikongoi,  II,  164. 
Mikado,  II,  243. 
Milk,  II,  176,  230  ;  pots,  II,  331  ; 

serpents  washed  in,  II,  237. 
Milk-vessel  amulet,  II,  40. 
Milky  Way,  the,  II,  319. 
Millepede,  II,  236. 
Millet,  II,  67,  230. 
MilHons  of  years,  pool  of,  I,  316. 
Mimosa,  II,  191, 
Minerva-Isis,  II,  288. 
Ministers  of  Osiris,  II,  160. 
Miracle  play  of  Osiris,  II,  i  ff.,  19. 
Miriali,  I,  240 ;  his  dance,  I,  239. 
Miscarriage,  I,  283. 
Missionaries,  II,  164. 
Mithras,  II,  301,  305. 
Mitoma,  II,  163. 
Mittu,  I,   178,  325;  grave  of,  II, 

86. 
Mkasiwah,  II,  104. 
Mnevis,  I,  12,  354,  398. 
Model  of  Osiris,   I,    12,    21  ;    of 

Seker,  II,  21. 
Models,  the  Sixteen,  II,  21. 
Moenekuss,  I,  185. 
Moeris,  II,  56,  180. 
Mofombo,  I,  298. 
Moga-Namirinzi,  II,  99. 
Moloki,  I,  375. 
Molongo,  I,  368. 
Molongo  (god),  I,  363. 
Momemphis,  II,  56. 
Momus,  II,  305,  306. 
Mondenge,  II,  191. 
Money,  II,  4. 
Mongilomba,  I,  298. 
Mongo,  II,  221  ;  burial  of  the,  II, 

109. 


Mongwandi,  II,  195,  242. 

Monkeys'  skins,  I,  239. 

Monkeys'  tails,  worn,  II,  208, 

Monotheism,  I,  358. 

Month,  festivals  of,  I,  140. 

Months,  II,  248. 

Moon,   II,    146,   250,    251,    318; 

brother      of    Pepi,     II,     311  ; 

dancing  to   the   new  moon,   I, 

244 ;     eaten    by    Set,    I,    62 ; 

festivals  of,  II,  5  ;  the  full,  II, 

54;     the    image    of,    I,    381; 

influence   on   harvest,    I,    395 ; 

mother    of    the    sun,    I,    382 ; 

silence   for  the   new   moon,  I, 

392 ;    worship   of  the,  I,  394 ; 

II,  252. 
Moon-god  (Osiris),  I,   19,  21,  59, 

384,  389;  II,  50,  172. 
Moon-spirit,  I,  392;  II,  251. 
Mooney  River,  I,  184. 
Moore,  Travels  of,  I,  225. 
Moral  worth,  an  essential,  I,  313. 
Moran  masks,  I,  239. 
Moret,  Mr.,  I,  62,  86,  250,  358  ; 

II,  246. 
Morimo,  I,  363. 
Morning    Star,    I,    93,    104,    138, 

146,    154,    159,    164;    II,  312, 

315,   318,  319,   332,  337,  339, 

344,  357- 
Morning  Sun,  I,  59. 
Moro,  I,  400 ;  II,  86. 
Moros,   the,  II,   208 ;    burial,  II, 

100. 
Mortar  mixed  with  blood,  I,  228. 
Mosquito,  II,  335. 
Mother,    I,  351 ;    descent   traced 

from,  II,  215. 
Mother-goddesses,  I,  280. 
Mothers,  of  deceased,  I,   150 ;  of 

twins,  II,  226. 
Moulder  of  the  gods,  II,  325. 


Index 


409 


Mountain-god,  I,  373. 

Mountains,  the  Two,  II,  361. 

Mountmorres,  Lord,  I,  322. 

Moustache,  I,  322. 

Mouth  of  Osiris,  I,  387  ;  II,  48. 

Movers,  II,  285. 

Mpambe,  I,  363. 

Mpongula,  I,  299. 

Mpongwe,  I,  293,  365  ;  II,  80. 

Mpungo,  I,  322,  330. 

Msossi,  II,  240. 

Mtesa,  King,  I,  377  ;  II,  92,  94, 

162,  187. 
Mubangi,  I,  187,  188 ;  II,  266. 
Muchwezi,  II,  184,  218. 
Muero,  II,  184. 
Muhammad  Ali,  II,  239,  274. 
Muhammadans,  I,  24. 
Muhammadanism,  II,  222. 
Muit,  goddess,  I,  103. 
Mukasa,  god,  I,  292,  377  ;  II,  184. 
Mulberry  tree,  I,  155  ;  II,  313. 
Mulingu,  god,  I,  368. 
Mullah,  I,  282. 
Mulongo  (twin),  II,  95. 
Mummies  taken  to  Abydos,  II,  3. 
Mummy  boards,  I,  323. 
Mummy  chamber,  II,  85. 
Mundo,  I,  178,  179,  226. 
Mungo  Park,  II,  230,  249,  251,  252. 
Mungulu,  I,  229,  230. 
Munyenye,  II,  251. 
Munza,  I,  179,  320,  396. 
Murder,  I,  340. 
Murders,      funeral,     I,      197    ff. ; 

through  the  shadow,  II,  127. 
Mu-Rempu,  I,  150. 
Mdsa,  II,  228. 
Muses,  I,  231. 
Musgu  grave,  II,  86. 
Music,  I,  236  ;  II,  160;  invented, 

I,  10  ;  only  an  accompaniment 

of  dancing,  I,  244. 


Musicians,  I,  33. 

Musimo,  I,  293  ;  II,  103,  164,  187. 

Musimo  huts,  I,  294, 

Musimo  offerings,  I,  294. 

Musisi,  1,377. 

Mushimo,  I,    195,   401  ;  II,    219, 

252,    260 ;    law    of,    II,    223 ; 

graves,  II,  86. 
Musoki,  I,  377. 
Musungi,  II,  III. 
Mut,  goddess,  I,   103,   147,  289, 

352- 
Mutilation,    II,    102 ;    prohibited 

by  Osiris,   I,  168;  of  Osiris,  I, 

62. 
Muyanzi  burial,  II,  109. 
Mvula,  II,  249. 
Mvumvumvu,  II,  249. 
Mwanga,  I,  337. 
Mwavi,  II,  191. 
Mwetyi,  I,  365. 
Mwici,  II,  249. 
Mycerinus,  I,  34,  333. 
Myondi,  II,  153. 
Myoro,  II,  225. 
Myrrh,  I,  252,  277. 
Mysteries,  II,  292  ;  of  Denderah, 

II,   21;  of  Isis,   II,   286,    295, 

302-306 ;    of  Osiris,    II,    iff.; 

II,  12,  14. 


Nabamba,  I,  377. 
Nabirie,  II,  184. 
Nabisana,  II,  184. 
Nabori,  I,  242. 
Nagaa,  I,  219,  221. 
Nagawonye,  I,  377. 
Nagodya,  I,  377. 
Nagua  river,  II,  102. 
Nai,  I,  122  ;  II,  58. 
Naigombwa,  II,  184. 
Nail-clippings,  II,  154,  186. 


4IO 


Index 


Nail  driven  into  shadow,  II,  127. 
Nails,  finger,  I,    153 ;  decoration 

of,  II,  333- 

Nails  of  Osiris,  I,  387. 

Naiteru-kop,  I,  366. 

Najahajae,  II,  234. 

Naja  Nigricollis,  II,  234. 

Nakayaga,  I,  377. 

Nake,  I,  393. 

Naked,  to  clothe  the,  I,  344. 

Nakedness  in  working  magic,  II, 
185  ff. 

Nalango,  II,  184. 

Nalwoga,  I,  377. 

Namasole,  94. 

Nambaga,  II,  184. 

Name,  as  a  word  of  power,  II, 
174  ;  giving  the,  II,  218  ;  given 
at  circumcision,  II,  221;  Ra's 
secret,  II,  231 ;  registered  in 
heaven,  I,  106. 

Names,  given  by  Thoth,  I,  10  ; 
importance  of  knowledge  of, 
II,  159;  magical,  I,  282;  II, 
173,  174  ;  strong  names,  II, 
242. 

Nana  Nyankupon,  I,  371. 

Nandi,  I,  243,  382  ;  II,  127,  132, 
139.  146,  150,  205,  220,  227, 
245,  248,  251  ;  tattHing  of  the, 

I,  324- 
Napata,  I,  198 ;  II,  244,  263. 
Nar-mer,  I,  35,  36,  41,  199,  201. 
Narses,  II,  285. 
Nart,  city  of,  II,  75. 
Nart  tree,  II,  69. 
Nasamba,  II,  184. 
Nasaqbubu,  II,  174. 
Nash,  Dr.  W.  L.,  I,  276;  II,  365, 

366. 
Nassau,   Dr.,    I,    180,    262,    268, 

275,  284,  293,  361,  369  ;  II,  80, 

125,  127,    136,    140,   142,    144, 


151,   154,    163,    164,    183,   187, 

189,    192,  197,    198,   201,   205, 

206,  213,  218,  228,  236,  265. 
Nastasen,  II,  263. 
Nate,  I,  367. 
Nativities,  II,  181. 
Natron,  II,  48,  330. 
Nature  =  God,  I,  371. 
Nature- gods,  II,  283. 
Nature-spirits,  II,  293. 
Nature-worship,  II,  196. 
Naturism,  II,  197. 
Nau,  Bull-god,  I,  128. 
Nau,  Frog-god,  I,  280. 
Nau,  goddess,  I,  125. 
Nau  serpent,  I,  143. 
Naville,  Professor,  I,  34,  39,  171, 

198,  224,  329,  358  ;  II,  13,  83. 
Nbakim,  I,  272. 
Ndiayai,  I,  322. 
Ndolo  burial,  II,   no. 
Ndongo,  I,  394. 
Neambara,  II,  86. 
Neba,  I,  340. 
Neb-abui,  I,  342. 
Neb-er-tcher,  I,  90,  343,  346 ;  II, 

67,  71.  73,  78,  289. 
Neb-heru,  I,  342. 
Neb-Maat,  I,  341. 
Neb-Maat-her-retui-f,  I,  316. 
Neb-pehti-thes-menmenet,  I,  316. 
Neb-qet,  papyrus  of,  I,  329  ;    II, 

129. 
Neb-Saut,  I,  93. 
Neb-seni,  papyrus   of,   I,   34,   38, 

202,    315,    317,    318  ;    II,    97, 

269. 
Nebt-hetep,  goddess,  II,  54. 
Neck  of  Osiris,  I,  387  ;  II,  48. 
Necklace  of  Osiris,  I,  323. 
Necklaces,  I,  237. 
Necromancers,  II,  183. 
Nectanebus,  II,  181,  182. 


Index 


411 


Nefer-Aabu,  II,  210,  211. 
Nefer-hetep,  King,  II,  14. 
Neferkara,  I,  248. 
Nefer-renpet,  II,  248. 
Nefert,  II,  326  ;  goddess,  II,  328. 
NeferTem,  I,  in,  126,  342,  353. 
Nefer-uben-f,  papyrus  of,  I,  329  ; 

II,  126. 
Negative  Confession,  I,  338,  360. 
Neglect  of  dead,  sin  of,  II,  165. 
Negro,  essence  of  religion  of  the, 

I,  290. 
Negroes,  II,  222  ;    Bantu,  I,  187  ; 

Nilotic,  II,  227;  man-eating,  I, 

177  ;  in  Tuat,  II,  163. 
Neha-hau,  I,  340. 
Nehia-her,  II,  157. 
Nehatu,  I,  341. 
Nehbet  sceptre,  I,  104. 
Neljeb-kau,  I,  126,  342  ;  II,  321. 
Neheb-nefert,  I,  342. 
Nehemu,  II,  317, 
Nehesu,  II,  163, 
Nehit,  I,  126. 
Nehna,  II,  18. 
Neiterkop,  I,  366. 
Neith,  goddess,  I,  126,   127,  254, 

354;  II,  25,  57,  64,  337,  347, 

349- 
Neith  amulets,  II,  38. 
Nek,  Bull  of  Ra  with  four  horns, 

I,  125  ;  II,  328,  349,  360. 
Nekha  serpent,  I,  141. 
Nekhakha  whip,  II,  348. 
Nekheb,    I,    146,    161,    162;    II, 

318- 
Nekhebet,  Nekhebit,  I,  143,  302  ; 

II,  55,  242,  328,  341. 
Nekhekh,  god,  I,  131,  151. 
Nekhen,  city  of,   I,  113,  137,  146, 

161,   165,  341  ;  II,  55,  69,  313, 
332  ;  souls  of,  I,  125. 
Nekhkhu,  I,  162. 


Nekht,  roll  of,  I,  43. 

Nekht,  papyrus  of,  I,  19,  48. 

Nektanebes,  I,  95. 

Nemast  vases,  the  Four,  II,  320, 
322  ;  Nemmest,  II,  66 ;  Nem- 
set,  II,  323,  332,  357. 

Nemesis,  II,  287. 

Nenet,  II,  354. 

Nemt,  II,  321. 

Neni,  I,  142. 

Nenpetro,  II,  233. 

Nent,  II,  359. 

Neolithic  period,  I,  66. 

Nepen,  I,  58. 

Nepenpet,  II,  339. 

Nepert,  II,  18. 

Nephthys,  I,  14,  28,  30,  40,  45 
61,  71,  75,  77,  81,  84,  86,  87, 
88,  96,  106,  108,  117,  132,  133, 
135,  136,  137,  145,  164,  319, 
328,  350,  373;  II,  7,  66,  172, 
213,  224,  273  ff.,  275,  286,  307, 

331,  336,  337,  342,  352,356; 
amulet  of,  II,  38  ;  in  form  of  a 
hawk  or  vulture,  II,  41 ;  Invo- 
cations of,  II,  44  ff. ;  Lamenta- 
tions of,  II,  60  ;  thighs  of,  I, 
118;  II,  311. 

Nepoko  river,  I,  236. 

Nepra,  I,  80. 

Neptune,  I,  292. 

Nesert  goddess,  I,  108. 

Neshmet  boat,  II,  4,  5,  8,  11. 

Nesi  Amsu,  II,  81,  86;  II,  203. 

Nesi-ta-neb-asher,  I,  43  ;  II,  97. 

Neskestet,  II,  320. 

Nest,  II,  349. 

Nesu,  I,  367. 

Net  crown,  I,  144,  146. 

Net,  goddess,  I,  108,  135  ;  II,  64, 

334,  337- 
Net,  use  of,  II,  241  ;  for  birds,  I, 
103. 


412 


Index 


Neta,  I,  109. 
Neta,  I,  109. 
Netat,  I,   149,   156,   161 ;  II,  312, 

331.  346,  356. 
Netbit,  II,  17. 
Netch-at-f,  I,  79. 
Netchefet,  II,  16. 
Netchesti,  II,  17. 
Netchtes  (Osiris),  I,  47. 
Neter  =  God  and  "god,"  I,  350. 
Neter,  II,  23. 

Neter-het  (Bubastis),  II,  41. 
Nethru,  II,  320. 
Netit,  II,  I,  6,  10. 
New  Antwerp,  II,  no. 
New  birth,  II,  141,  252. 
New   Calabar,    I,    296;    II,    185, 

267. 
New  moon  lev^e,  I,  393. 
New  year,   II,   347  ;  days  of  the, 

II,  324. 
Ngae,  I,  362. 
Nganga,  II,  170. 
Nghali  tree,  II,  102. 
Ngogwe,  I,  377. 
Ngombe,  I,  189,  320,  326. 
Ngula,  I,  375. 
Ngumba,  I,  375. 
Nguru,  II,  225. 
Ngwe  (mother),  II,  217. 
Niaanos,  I,  180. 
Niamah  Niam,  I,  178. 
Niam  Niam,  I,  178,  179,  195,  236, 

362,  400;    II,    86,    207,    257; 

burial,  II,  99. 
Nidon  (spirit),  II,  166. 
Nifu-urt,  goddess,  II,  55. 
Niger,  I,  227,   260,   381  ;  II,  209, 

261. 
Niger  Delta,  I,  187  ;  II,  142,  143, 

198,  225. 
Niger-god,  I,  373. 
Niger,  Lower,  I,  184. 


Nigeria,  I,  297,  321. 

Night-goddesses,  II,  32. 

Night  of  judgment,    I,    200 ;    of 

slaughter,    I,     200 ;    turned    to 

day,  II,  172. 
Night-sky,  II,  250. 
Night-sun,  I,  59,  60. 
N'ihna-attah,  II,  228. 
Nikkieya,  I,  376. 
Nikinda,  II,  189. 
Nile,  I,  7,   II,   14,   103,  118,   155, 

336,  376,  379»  385.  402 ;  II, 

13.  14,  51.   69,    160,    181,    270, 

278;  low  Nile,  I,  211;  Tanitic 

mouth  of,  I,  4. 
Nile-flood,  I,  385. 
Nile-god,  I,  19. 
Nile-water,  holy,  II,  295,  296. 
Nile-worship,  II,  198. 
Nilotic-negro  burial,  II,  no. 
Nimbo  tree,  II,  261. 
Nindo,  II,  251. 
Nine  attendants   ot   Ra,   I,   208 ; 

bows  of  Horus,  I,  142  ;  gods,  I, 

109,   153;  ivory  tusks,  I,  292; 

kauri  shells,  I,    292 ;   steps,   I, 

33,  35.  42  ;  11,  247. 
Nissen,  II,  286. 
Njambi,  I,   369;    II,    144,    152; 

town  of,  II,  158,  164. 
Nka,  II,  191. 
Nkadi,  I,  375. 
Nkama,  II,  216. 
Nkasa,  II,  191. 
Nkisi,  I,  297,  298. 
Nkola,  II,  257. 
Nkulo,  I,  377. 
Nkwerri,  I,  227. 
Nnanaji,  I,  395. 
Nogara,  I,  234. 

Noise  frightens  spirits,  II,  164. 
Noldeke,  Professor,  II,  285. 
Nomes  of  Egypt,  II,  307. 


Index 


413 


Northern  Congo,  I,  325. 

Nose  of  Osiris,  I,  387  ;  II,  48. 

November,  I,  4. 

Npopo,  II,  295. 

Nsadzi  Island,  I,  377. 

Nsakara,  I,  375  ;  burial,  II,  113. 

Nsama,  II,  256. 

Nsiku,  I,  330. 

Nsisim,  II,  127. 

Nu,  god,  I,  104,  115,  119,  13s, 
342;  II,  75,  172,  314,  315, 
321,   333.  341,  344,    347,  354, 

359- 
Nu,  papyrus  of,  I,  34,  39,  59,  97, 

170,  220,  317,  399;  II,  15,  97. 
Nuabulezi,  I,  377. 
Nuba,  I,  401. 
Nubia,    I,    76,    198,   380 ;    II,   27, 

33,  65,  223,  263,  283,  284,  306, 

311,  344- 
Nubians,  I,  179, 198,  200,  224,  283. 
Nubt,  II,  321. 
Nuers,  II,  258. 
Numba,  I,  295. 
Number  sticks,  I,  166. 
Numbers,  lucky  and  unlucky,   II, 

248. 
Numerius  Popidius  Ampliatus,  II, 

294- 

Nunu,  II,  342. 

Nurse-goddess,  I,  332. 

Nurta,  I,  84. 

Nuru,  ferry-god,  II,  324. 

Nut,  sky-goddess,  I,  2,  3,  9,  26, 
69,  71,  77,  84,  108,  122,  129, 
130,  132,  135,  137,  138,  149, 
150,  151,  152,  156,  158,  159, 
161,  165,  319,  373;  II,  27,  53, 
56,  66,  67,  68,  70,  74,  77,  259, 
278,  314,  316,  321,  323,  324, 
333,  334-8,  341,  343,  344,  347, 
351,  358,  360;  two  great  eyes 
of,  I,  156  ;  womb  of,  II,  310. 

VOL.  II. 


Nuts,  ground,  I,  185. 

Nvula  Mbakala,  II,  249. 

Nvula  Nxentu,  II,  249. 

Nxienji,  I,  394. 

Nyakang,  I,  259,  260,  376. 

Nyam,  I,  369. 

Nyambe,  I,  374. 

Nyambi,  I,  368. 

Nyampi,  I,  363. 

Nyankupon,  I,  372. 

N'yanza,  I,  401. 

Nyasa,  II,  193. 

Nyasaland,    Nyassaland,i   I,    186, 

187,  391  ;  II,  191. 
Nyassa,  Lake,  I,  180. 
Nyonmo,  I,  372. 
Nysa,  I,  10,  II  ;  II,  280. 
Nzakomba,  I,  368,  374. 
Nzam,  I,  370. 
Nzambi,   I,   369,  370,  374;   with 

Ampungu,  I,  370,  374. 
Nzambici,  I,  370, 


Oasis,  the  Great,  I,  98. 

Oasis,  the  Little,  II,'  223. 

Oasis  of  Khargah,  II,  25,  219. 

Oath,  the  Dyur,  II,  204. 

Oba,  I,  373- 

Obatala,  I,  372. 

Obbo,  I,  234,  246,  362. 

Obeah,  belief  in,  II,  201. 

Obelisk,  house  of  the,  II,  54. 

Obelisks,  the  two,  II,  26,  328. 

Oblations,  I,  104. 

Obongo,  II,  221. 

Obufira,  II,  184. 

Obulugo,  II,  184. 

Ocean,  Celestial,  I,  127. 

Ochre,  red,  I,  324. 

Odour  of  Isis,  I,  5  ;  of  Osiris,  I, 

78,  146. 
Odudua,  I,  373. 

2    E 


414 


Index 


Odumfo,  I,  228. 
Offering,  the  divine,  I,  151. 
Offerings,    Annual,    II,    308 ;    of 
the  Year,  II,  324;  doctrine  of, 

I,  247  ;  field  of,  I,  97,  104, 
144;    holy,   I,    344;    region  of, 

II,  12  ;  sent  on  to  Other  World, 
II,  12;  table  of,  I,  224;  trans- 
mutation of,  I,  254;  which 
appear  at  the  word,  II,  65. 

Ofo,  II,  261. 

Ofurekpe,  II,  165. 

Ogbeabri,  II,  261. 

Ogessa,  II,  186. 

Oglie,  I,  363. 

Ogonayli,  I,  392. 

Ogowe  Fang,  II,  265. 

Ogowe  tribes,  I,  173. 

Ogugu,  I,  242. 

Ogun,  I,  373;  II,  132. 

Ohogo  dance,  I,  242. 

Oiik  (devils),  II,  150. 

Oil,  I,  255;  Hatet,  I,  147  ;  palm, 

I,  185  ;  tree,  I,  185. 
Oils,  the  seven  holy,    I,  252  ;  II, 

218. 
Ointment,  I,  155  ;  made  of  human 

flesh,  II,  80. 
Okan,  II,  125. 

Oke,  I,  373- 

Okijun,  II,  247. 

Okuku  ceremony,  I,  227  ;  II,  267, 

269. 
Okundu  medicine,  II,  188. 
Olaga,  II,  189. 
Old  age,  II,  164. 
Old  Benin,  II,  225. 
Old    Calabar,    I,    184;    II,    223, 

226,  265. 
Olenga  Yombi,  I,  239. 
Olive    tree,    II,    259;    of   An,    I, 

102. 
Ol-le-Mweiyo,  II,  185. 


01-oiboni,  II,  186. 

01-Oimooja,  II,  185. 

Olokun,  I,  373. 

Olori,  II,  122. 

Olorun,  I,  372. 

Olosa,  I,  373. 

Oloumi,  II,  261. 

Olympias,  II,  181,  182. 

Olympiodorus,  II,  284. 

Olympus,  II,  302. 

Omaro,  I,  376. 

Ombos,  II,  55,  321. 

Ombuiri,    I,    241,    365;    II,    152, 

189. 
Omens,  II,  184,  186. 
Omon,  II,  226. 
Omun,  I,  184. 
On,  I,  82,  89. 
Ondo,  I,  229. 
One,  I,  113  ;  One  Alone,  I,  357  ; 

II,  352;  of  heaven,  II,  359. 
One  Face,  I,  115. 
One  hundred  and  ten,  II,  248. 
Oni  of  Ife,  I,  229,  374. 
Only  One  =  God,  I,  357. 
Onyambe,  I,  365. 
Opening   the    mouth,    I,    74,   lor, 

176,   252,    333,    399;    II,    185, 

192. 
Oracles,  I,  294;  II,  183. 
Ordeal,  red- water,  II,  190,  191. 
Ori,  I,  374. 
Orion,  I,  107,  108,  121,   145,  154, 

156,    i59>    163,   166,   389;    II, 

63.    172,   250,  307,  340;  abode 

of  Osiris,  I,  384. 
Orisha,  I,  372. 
Orisha  Oko,  I,  373. 
Orkoiyot,  II,  185. 
Oronugon,  I,  226. 
Oru,  II,  140. 
Orun,  I,  373. 
Orungan,  I,  373. 


Index 


415 


Os  sacrum,  II,  280. 

Osheba  tribe,  I,  183. 

Oshosi,  I,  373. 

Oshu,  I,  373. 

Oshumare,  I,  373. 

Oshun,  I,  373. 

Osiris,  I,  350,  360,  379;  II,  224, 
250,  296  ;  a  seven  months'  child, 
II,  27  ;  the  Great  Ancestor,  I, 
288  ;  and  human  sacrifice,  I,  197, 
204,  210,  222;  sacrifices  and 
offerings  to,  I,  247  ;  and  can- 
nibalism, I,  167  ff. ;  and  dancing, 

I,  231  ;  embraces  Ra,  I,  86  ; 
and  the  ladder,  II,  167  ;  with 
White  Crown,  I,  50 ;  ascends 
to  heaven  on  Sefert,  I,  129;  as 
bull-god,  I,  397  ;  as  Judge  of 
the  Dead,  I,  305  ;  as  moon- 
god,  I,  384  ;  as  Bacchus,  I,  9  ; 
as  Begetter,  I,  60  ;  begets  Horus, 

II,  41  ;  his  bier,  I,  279 ;  his 
birth-chamber,  II,  172  ;  Boat 
of,  I,  249;  body  of,  I,  83; 
burial  of,  II,  8  ;  causes  fecundity, 
II,  51  ;  changes  in  cult  of,  I, 
18  ;  crowns  of,  II,  43  ;  histories 
of,  by  Diodorus,  Macrobius, 
Maternus,  and  Plutarch,  I,  i  ff., 
9  ff.,  14;    company  of  gods  of, 

I,  41 ;  component  parts  of,  I, 
77  ;  death  day  of,  I,  4  ; 
derivation  of  name  of,  I,  9  ;  dis- 
memberment of,  I,  7  ;  domains 
of,  I,  80  ;  eats  Eye  of  Horus,  I, 
89 ;  emanations  of,  I,  390  ;  his 
enemies  slain  and  offered  to 
him,  I,  200  ;  enters  heaven,  I, 
76  ;  executioner  of,  I,  202  ;  II, 
163  ;  festival  of,  II,  31  ;  field  of, 

II,  25  ;  figure  of,  kept  one  year, 
I,  15;  figures  of,  I,  300;  forms 
of,   I,    59;    the    14,    16,   or    18 


parts  of  I,  386  ;    the  god-man, 

I,  22  ;  god  of  agriculture,  I,  10; 
the  great  sacrifice,  I,  212;  head 
of,  I,  55,  2X2  ;  heart  of,  I,  203  ; 
heaven  of,  described,  I,  100  ff. ; 
house  of,  I,  248 ;  hymns  to,  I, 
54;  II,  66  ff.;  =Ra,  I,  385; 
in  heaven,  I,  77  ff.  ;  in  Het- 
Tetet,  I,  46  ;  in  his  shrine,  I, 
310;  in  the  moon,  I,  21; 
ininocence  of,  proclaimed,  I,  313  ; 
intestines  of,  I,  63  ;  island  of,  I, 
313;  king  of  gods,  II,  46  ; 
kingdom  of,  II,  157;  jawbones 
of,  II,  92  ;  judges  of,  I,  204  ; 
list  of  forms  of,  I,  59  ;  living 
image  of,  I,  398 ;  lord  of 
Eternity,  I,  50,  60  ;  the  mercy 
of,  I,  315;  models  of,  I,  12; 
the  moon,  I,  2 1 ;  opening  the 
mouth  of,  I,  75  ;  name  and 
iconography  of,  I,  24  ff. ;  odour 
of,  I,  78;  on  his  sand,  II,  17; 
on  stelae,  I,  289 ;  overlord  of 
Tuat,  II,  161  ;    miracle  play  of, 

II,  275  ;  reconstitution  of,  I, 
69  ;  reign  of,  I,  20 ;  his  resur- 
rection depicted,  II,  40,  43 ; 
returns  from  Other  World,  I,  8 ; 
revivified  by  Eye  of  Horus  and 
Isis,  I,  88;  II,  232;  sacrum  of, 

I,  277  ;  seated  in  heaven,  I, 
312;  secret  abode  of,  II,  157; 
seven  boats  of,  II,  32 ;  seven 
forms  of,  at  Abydos,  I,  49 ; 
shrines  of,  II,  i  ff. ;  soul  of,  II, 
129  ;  spirit  of,  I,  384 ;  statue  of, 

II,  4;  =  the  sun,  I,  9,  15  ; 
symbol  of  death,  II,  306  ; 
temples  of,  at  Abydos,  II,  19  ; 
the  shepherd,  II,  16  ;  tomb  of, 
II,  10,  83  ;  true  voice,  I,  91  ; 
the  26  members  of,  I,  11  ;    the 

2    E    2 


4i6 


Index 


type  of  all  dead,  I,  80  ;    uncon-  Osir 

quered,    II,  303 ;  backbone  of,  Osir 

II,  200  ;    his  worship  at  Philae,  Osir 

II,  285.  Osir 

Osiris,    a    name    of    every    dead  Osir: 

person,  I,  67  ;  II,  3.  Osir 

Osiris,  Aah,  I,  59.  Osir 

Osiris  Ankhti,  II,  16.  Osir 

Osiris  Apis,  I,  398.  Osir 

Osiris  Atef-ur,  II,  17.  Osir 

Osiris  Ba-neb  Tet,  I,  60.  Osir: 

Osiris  Bati  Erpit,  II,  16.  Osir 

Osiris   Harmakhis    Temu,    I,  59 ;  Osir 

II,  33.  Osir 

Osiris  Hemaka,  II,  42,  43.  Osir 

Osiris  her-ab-set,  II,  16.  Osir 

Osiris  Horus,  I,  59.  Osir 

Osiris  Keb,  I,  60.  Osir 

Osiris  Khenti  Amenti,  I,  32  ;  Aat  Osir 

of,  I,  98.  Osir 

Osiris  Khenti  Het-Asar,  I,  48.  Osir 

Osiris  Khenti-ment-f,  II,  349.  Osir 

Osiris  Khenti  nut-f,  II,  17.  Osir 

Osiris  Khenti  Peku,  II,  16.  Osir 

Osiris  Khenti  Per-Sepent,  I,  48.  Osir 

Osiris  Khenti  Peru,  II,  16.  Osir 

Osiris  Khenti  Restau,  II,  16.  Osir 

Osiris  Mer-at-f,  II,  29.  Osir: 

Osiris  Neb-ankh,  II,  16.  Osir 

Osiris  Neb-er-tcher,  II,   16.  Osir: 

Osiris  Neb-heh,  I,  60.  Osir 

Osiris  Neper  (Nepra),  I,  58.  Osir 

Osiris  Netchesti,  II,  17,  47.  Osir: 

Osiris  Nub-heh,  II,  16.  Osir 

Osiris  Orion,  I,  59  ;  II,  16.  Osir 

Osiris  Ptah,  II,  16.  Osir 

Osiris  Ra,  I,  60 ;  II,  64.  Osir 

Osiris  Res,  I,  44.  Osir 

Osiris  Sah,  I,  59.  Osir 

Osiris  Seker,   I,   41,   55,  57,  251,  Osir 

269,  271  ;  II,  17,  35,  42.  Osir 

Osiris  Tet,  I,  52;  II,  35,  55;  in  Osir 

Tet,  II,  41.  Osir 


Tua,  I,  60;  II,  17. 

Un-Nefer,  I,  50;  II,  34. 

Uu,  II,  57. 

of  Aper,  II,  17. 

of  Ater,  II,  17. 

of  Ati,  II,  16. 

of  Baket,  II,  17. 

of  Beshu,  II,  18. 

of  Busiris,  II,  41. 

of  Coptos,  II,  23. 

of  Cusae,  II,  28. 

of  Denderah,  II,  122. 

of  Edfu,  II,  26. 

of  Eileithyias,  II,  25. 

of  Fat  Heru,  II,  18. 

of  Heaven,  II,  17. 

of  Hebit,  II,  39. 

of  Heliopolis,  II,  38. 

of  Hena,  II,  18. 

of  Henket,  II,  18. 

of  Libya,  II,  30. 

of  Maati,  II,  18. 

of  Nepert,  II,  18. 

of  Netbit,  II,  17. 

of  Netchefet,-II,  16. 

of  Netru,  II,  17. 

of  Nubia,  II,  27. 

of  Pe,  II,  17. 

of  Qeftenu,  II,  17. 

of  Rehnent,  II,  17. 

of  Resu,  II,  17. 

of  Sais,  II,  17. 

of  Sati,  II,  18. 

of  Sehtet,  II,  16. 

of  Shau,  II,  18. 

of  Shennu,  II,  17. 

of  Sunnu,  II,  17. 

of  Tanent,  II,  17. 

of  Tepu,  II,  18. 

of  the  East,  II,  34. 

of  the  North,^I,  37. 

of  Thebes,  II,  24. 

of  Upper  Sais,  11,^17. 


Index 


417 


Osisi,  II,  261. 

Ostrich,  I,  321  ;  god,  I,  125  ; 
feathers  of,  I,  329,  403. 

Other  World,  I,  8,  17,  79,  80,  216, 
220,  225,  226,  233,  253,  263, 
274,  340,  384;  II,  4,  112,  123, 
160,  241 ;  of  Memphis,  I,  39  ; 
of  the  Ibo,  II,  165  ;  of  Osiris, 

I,  100;  of  Tshis,  II,  165. 
Ourang-outang,  II,  131. 
Overlord  (Osiris),  II,  161-163. 
Ox,   black,  I,   284;  blood  of,  II, 

no  ;  head  of,  rejoined  to  body, 

II,  119;  hide  of,  in  grave,  I, 
402 ;  horns  of,  II,  88 ;  skin 
of,  at  burial,  II,  102. 

Oxyrhynchus,  I,  7,  387. 
Oya,  I,  373. 
Oyo,  I,  229. 


Pa-Asar,  I,  212. 

Paddle,  I,   162,  232  ;  II,    184  ;  of 

Pepi,  I,  160;  of  Semti,  I,  33. 
Paederasty,  I,  26. 
Paganism,  edict  against,  II,  284. 
Pagans    pray   to    new   moon,   II, 

252. 
Pa-Hennu,  II,  56. 
Paheri,  tomb  of,  I,  266. 
Paia-Njambi,  I,  370. 
Palavers  in  Other  World,  II,   165, 

166. 
Palermo,  stele  of,  I,  ^2)^  198,   200, 

398- 
Palestine,  II,  285. 
Palette,  writing,  I,  328. 
Palladius,  II,  240. 
Palm  leaf  cornice,  I,  316. 
Palm  nuts,  II,  168.. 
Palm  oil,  I,  185. 
Palm  Sunday,  II,  219. 
Palm  toddy,  I,  185. 


Palm  tree,  II,  176,  313. 
Palm  wine  offerings,  I,  295. 
Pan,  I,  II,  58. 
Pangeo,  I,  295. 
Pangwes,  I,  184. 
Panopolis,  II,  277. 
Panthea-Isis,  II,  287. 
Pantheism,  I,  358. 
Papaluka,  II,  174. 
Papalur,  II,  174. 
Paparuka,  II,  174. 
Paphos,  II,  187,  288. 
Papyrus,    II,    58 ;    boat  of,  I,   7 ; 
Ebers,  I,  279,  284;  swamp  of, 

I,  16,  96;  II,  176,  275,  279. 
Papyrus-sceptre    amulet,    II,    37, 

38. 
Paradise,  II,  182,  260. 
Paralysis  of  Apep,  II,  178. 
Parando,  II,  261. 
Parents,  love  of,  II,  291. 
Parinarium,  II,  261. 
Parthey,  I,  2. 
Parturition,  I,  302. 
Pa-suten-sa,  I,  32,  37. 
Pass-all,  King,  I,  226. 
Pasemis,  II,  34. 
Paste,  sacred,   II,    30  ;  of  Seker, 

II,  23. 

Pastophori,     II,     293,    298,    303, 

304- 
Pat  apparel,  II,  359. 
Pat,  spirits,  II,  74,  189. 
Pat,  Lake  of,  II,  324,  325. 
Patch,  god,  I,  118. 
Patriarch,  cult  of  the,  I,  297. 
Paul  the  Simple,  II,  181. 
Paulitschke,  I,  194,  363;  II,  174, 

186. 
Paut,  Pauti,  I,  353. 
Pe,  I,   115,   131,    137,    146,    158, 

161,    165;  II,   7,    17,   57,   312, 

313,  316,  329,  337,  345,  356; 


4i8 


Index 


the   souls   of,    I,    125;  Pe-Tep 
(Buto),  I,  96,  171 ;  n,  12. 

Peace-offering,  I,  264. 

Pearce,  Mr.,  I,  193. 

Pechuel-Loesche,  I,  330. 

Pectoral,   I,   252,    265  ;  of  Osiris, 

n,  35. 

Pef-a-nef,  Net,  II,  19. 

Pegasus,  II,  297. 

Peh-ka,  I,  162. 

Pehti,  god,  I,  43. 

Pehu,  II,  50,  341. 

Peka,  I,  135  ;  II,  13. 

Pellegrini,  I,  198. 

Penates,  II,  153. 

Pennisetum,  I,  185. 

Penta,  I,  144. 

Penten,  I,  109. 

Pepi  I,  I,  70,  235,  236  ;  II,  7,  232  ; 

ladder   of,    I,    76 ;    text    of,    I, 

129  ff.,  152;  II,  307  ff. 
Pepi-Tem,  I,  165. 
Pepper-soup,  I,  194. 
Peq,  I,  118;  II,  319. 
Peqer,  II,  7,  8,  13,  15. 
Per-aa,  II,  161. 
Per-ab-sen,  I,  32. 
Per-Asar,  I,   52,    212;  Neb   Jetu, 

I,  37- 
Perfume  vases,  II,  40. 
Per-kem,  II,  263. 
Per-kes,  II,  28. 
Per-khen,  II,  340. 
Per-menu,  I,  341. 
Persea  tree,  I,   19,  202;  II,  259; 

of  Osiris,  I,  37. 
Per-seker,  I,  52. 

Personality,  can  be  stolen,  II,  190. 
Per-sui,  II,  275. 
Pert,  festival  of,  II,  27. 
Pert-er-kheru,  I,  266. 
Per-ur,  I,  139,  162. 
Per-urt,  IT,  25. 


Pesk-Re,  II,  17. 

Pessinus,  II,  288. 

Pest,  city  of,  II,  17. 

Pestle  of  the  gods,  I,  382. 

Pesu-re,  II,  17. 

Pet,  name  of  Osiris,  I,  151. 

Peta-Asar,  II,  285. 

Petarpemotis,  II,  182. 

Petchet,  I,  153;  II,  312. 

Petchet  gods,  I,  119. 

Petchu,  Petchtu,  lake  of,   II,  313, 

328. 
Peter,  land  of,   I,    124;  a  part  of 

Heaven,  II,  325;  shrines  of,  II, 

315- 
Peterta,  II,  320. 
Petet,  II,  275,  343. 
Petherick,    Mr.,    quoted,    I,    179, 

286,  400  ;  II,  86,  87,  100,  204, 

208. 
Petrie,  Professor,  II,  9,  83. 
Pet-She,  II,  17. 
Phacusa,  II,  58. 
Phagrus,  I,  7,  387. 
Phalli  of  kings  of  Uganda,  II,  95. 
Phallic  gods,  II,  283. 
Phallic   ceremonies   and   worship, 

II,  222,  295. 
Phallus,  I,  373  ;  of  Baba,  II,  96; 

of  Bata,  I,  65  ;  of  Osiris,  I,  65, 

387  ;  II,  93,  96  ;  model  of,  I,  7  ; 

of  Ra,  I,  65 ;    II,  96,  330 ;   of 

Shu,  II,  361. 
Phamenoth,  I,  384. 
Pharaoh,  I,  16;  II,  148,  161,  180, 

211  ff.;  Pharaohs,  II,  222,  223, 

234- 
Pharbaetus,  II,  59. 
Phepo,  I,  361. 
Philae,  II,  15,  281,  284,285,306; 

tomb  of  Osiris  at,  I,  12. 
Philtres,  II,  181. 
Phoebus,  II,  287. 


Index 


419 


Phoenicia,  11,  285. 

Phoenix,  I,  60. 

Phrasious,  I,  211. 

Phrygians,  II,  288. 

Phtah,  I,  359. 

Physic,  art  of,  I,  14;  discovered  by 

Isis,  I,  12. 
Piaggia,  I,  301,  390. 
Pierret,  Mr.  P.,  I,  383,  386  ;   II, 

44,  129. 
Pig,  I,  337  ;  abomination  of  Horus, 

I,  63;  black,  I,  62;  II,  18;  of 
Set,  I,  42 ;  parts  of,  used  in 
medicine,  I,  384. 

Pigment  for  colouring  body,  I,  326. 

Pigtails,  I,  396. 

Pillar  of  Byblos,   I,   6  ;  of  Osiris, 

1,6. 
Pillars,    the     two,    II,    223 ;     of 

heaven,  II,  167,  321  ;  of  society, 

II,  170. 

Pillow,  II,   252,    253;    amulet,   I, 
182;  II,  252,  253. 

Pine  tree,  I,  15. 

Pineapple  plant,  II,  242. 

Pinching,  a  religious  ceremony,  I, 
292  ;  II,  218. 

Pingiro,  II,  251. 

Pipes  and  drums,  I,  234. 

Pistorio,  II,  286. 

Pit  of  slaughter,  I,  202,  224. 

Pits  of  fire,  I,  15;  II,  81,  157. 

Place  of  purification,  II,  75. 

Placenta,  I,  302  ;  II,  364,  365. 

Plague-god,  I,  377. 

Planets,    II,    34;   the   Seven,    II, 
181. 

Plants,   magical,  II,   181  ;  poison- 
ous, II,  179. 
Plantains,  I,  185  ;  II,  95. 
Plaques,  II,  39. 

Plenty-god,  I,  377- 
Pleyte,  Dr.,  I,  352. 


Ploss,  Dr.,  II,  223,1231. 
Plough  frame,  II,  25. 
Ploughshare,  II,  25. 
Plough   the    earth,     II,     27,     46, 

320. 
Ploughing,  I,  149. 
Ploughing-god,  I,  19. 
Plumb-amulets,  II,  39. 
Plume-amulets,  II,  40. 
Plumes  of  Osiris,  I,  50. 
Plutarch,  I,  2  ;  his  Scripta  Mora- 
lia,  I,    2,   5,  16,  24,   S3,  61,  65, 
67,  91,  168,  384,  386,  387- 388, 
398;  II,  213,  250,  285. 
Pluto,  I,  61,  398;  II,  306. 
P-nubs,  II,  263. 
Pointer  of  Balance  of  Judgment, 

I,  333- 
Poison,  II,   172,  173;  made  from 

dead  bodies,  I,  180;  II,  179. 
Polygamy,  II,  213. 
Polytheism,  I,  358,  368. 
Pombe  offerings,  I,  298. 
Pomegranate  amulet,  II,  39,  40. 
Pomeranians,  II,  93. 
Pompeii,  II,  286,  294. 
Pongo,  I,  330. 

Pools  of  Eye  of  Horus,  I,  316. 
Population  of  the  Tuat,  II,  160. 
Porphyry,  I,  212. 
Portents,  II,  170. 
Porter  of  heaven,  the,  I,  345. 
Porters  of  the  Other  World,    II, 

254- 
Portugal,  II,  286. 
Potatoes,  sweet,  I,  185. 
Potter-god,  I,  333. 
Potter's  wheel,    I,   355,   372  ;  H, 

245- 
Pottery,  II,  245. 
Power  of  the  Moon,  I,  385. 
Powers,    II,    332 ;    the    Two,    I, 

153- 


420 


Index 


Prayer,  I,  247,  258,  362,  366; 
ascends  on  incense,  II,  175  ;  to 
New  Moon,  I,  395  ;  II,  253  ; 
with  offering,  I,  260;  prayers, 
II,  170. 

Prayers  for  offerings,  I,  266. 

Prayers  for  the  dead,  I,  272. 

Prayers,  magical,  I,  287, 

Precepts  of  Kaqemna,  I,  350. 

Precepts  of  Ptah-hetep,  I,  350. 

Priapus,  I,  367. 

Prickly  pear,  II,  261. 

Priest,  the  Christian,  I,  282. 

Priest-kings,  II,  19. 

Priests,  grades  of,  I,  374  j  of  dif- 
ferent forms  of  Osiris,  II,  31. 

Priests  of  Amen,  II,  161. 

Priestcraft,  I,  371. 

Primis,  II,  284. 

Prince,  House  of  the,  II,  341. 

Priscus,  II,  284. 

Prisse  d'Avennes,  I,  350. 

Procreation  in  Tuat,  II,  160. 

Promontory  Theopropos,  I,  4. 

Prophecy,  II,  185. 

Prophet,  the,  II,  204. 

Propitiation,  I,  261,  264,  393. 

Proserpine,  II,  287,  288,  302. 

Prostitution,  II,  214. 

Providence  (Njambi),  II,  144. 
Pseudo-CaUisthenes,  II,  181. 
Ptah,   I,   60,   254,  353,  354,  372, 
398;    II,    56,    139,    161,    172; 
workshop,  I,  132. 
Ptah-hetep,  I,  309,  350. 
Ptah-neb-ankh,  II,  16. 
Ptah-resu-aneb-f,  II,  56. 
Ptah-Seker,  I,  38. 
Ptah-Seker-Asar,  I,  45  ;  II,  43. 
Ptah-Seker-Tem,  II,  68. 
Ptah  Tanen,  I,  92  ;  II,  262. 
Ptolemais,  II,  54. 
Ptolemies,  II,  213. 


Ptolemy,  II,  292. 
Ptolemy  VIII  or  XI,  I,  213. 
Pu  (Pe),  city,  I,  153;  II,  326. 
Puberty  dances,  I,  245. 
Piickler,  Herr,  II,  239. 
Pudenda  cut  off,  I,  193. 
Puff  adders,  II,  232. 
Punishment,    dogma   of,    I,    360 ; 

moral,    II,    166;    punishments, 

II,  164. 
Punt,     I,     232,     233  ;     king   and 

queen  of,  II,  229. 
Purgatorium,  II,  295. 
Purification  after   birth,   II,   217; 

of  the  Law,  II,    222  ;     of  the 

Pharaohs,  II,  222. 
Purifications,  II,  309. 
Purity  ceremonial,  acts  of,  I,  344  ; 

II,  176. 
Puteoli,  II,  286,  293. 
Pygmy,  I,  232,  236  ;  Pepi  as,  II, 

324- 
Pygmies,    1,362,   374;    II,    253; 

burial    of    the,    II,    105,    220; 

elephant  hunting,  I,  178;  their 

women  in  childbirth,  I,  302. 
Pylons  of  Osiris,  II,  173. 
Pyramid  texts  quoted,  I,  100,  loi, 

279>   347,   352,   353,    357;    H, 

2,  129,  132,  250. 
Python,  II,  237. 
Pyxicephalus  adspersus,  I,  281. 


Qa,  II,  350  ;  stone,  II,  39. 

Qaat,  I,  119. 

Qa-ha-hetep,  II,  12. 

Qata,  II,  318. 

Qebh  (Sky),  I,  163. 

Qebhet,  II,  336. 

Qebhu,  I,  118,  124,  129,  150;  II, 

310,   320,  325,  333,  334,  357, 

359- 


Index 


421 


Qebh-her,  II,  58. 

Qebhsenuf,   I,   3,   106,   131,   135; 

II,  3 £7,  318,  362. 
Qebhut,  goddess,  II,  323. 
Qeftenu,  II,  17. 
Qena,     Qenat   garment,    II,    314, 

359- 
Qerera,  II,  328. 
Qerrt,  I,  340;  II,  75. 
Qersu,  I,  71. 
Qersut,  I,  71. 
Qerti,  I,  341. 
Qetem,  II,  312. 
Qrun,  II,  166. 

Queen  Mother  of  Uganda,  II,  94. 
Queen  of  North,  I,  151,  156. 
Quengueza,  I,  392,  402. 
Quereza  monkey,  II,  207. 
Quesango,  II,  118. 
Quibell,  I,  35. 


Ra,  I,  3,  64,  65,  68,  78,  82,  91, 
104,  106,  109,  116,  117,  123, 
126,  129,  130,  134,  135,  142, 
144,  i45>  146,  147,  156,  160, 
163,   210,  222,   329,   358,  378, 

380,  385,  389;  II,  50,  52,  53, 
54,  56,  57,  59,  71,  72,  123, 
156,  161,  167,  171,  172,  178, 
201,  233,  239,  255,  258,  273, 
275,  280,  289,  310,  311,  313, 
314,  315,  316,  317,  318,  320, 
323,  324,  325,  326,  330,  333, 
334,  336,  337,  33^,  34°,  34i, 
342,  344,  348,  358,  359,  360. 
Ra,  Ancestors  of,  I,  112;  poisoned 
by  Isis,  I,  352  ;  II,  173,  231  ; 
embraces  Osiris,  I,  86  ;  Ra  and 
the  Hly,  I,  iii  ;  assists  Osiris 
up  the  ladder,  I,  125  ;  atten- 
dants of,  I,  208 ;  boat  of,  I, 
117;  as  Bull  of   the  Nine,  II, 


329  ;  circle  of,  I,  137  ;  cult  of, 
I,  100  ;  dead  body  of,  II,  157  ; 
domain  of,  I,  112  ;  eye  of, 
I,  346 ;  ferries  Pepi,  I,  162 ; 
fields  of,  I,  153  ;  followers  of,  I, 
119;  four-horned  bull  of,  I, 
125;  house  of,  I,  126;  power 
of,  II,  343  ;  phallus  of,  I,  65  ; 
sets  up  the  ladder,  I,  75  ;  soul 
of,  II,  75,  130;  tail  of,  I,  130; 
the  female,  II,  277. 

Rat,  sun-goddess,  I,  108. 

Ra-Harmakhis,  I,  319. 

Ra-Heru-khuti,  II,  315. 

Ra-Horus,  II,  277. 

Ra-Tem,  I,  106,  107  ;  II,  354. 

Rabbai  Mpia,  I,  294. 

Rahes,  II,  343. 

Raiment-offering,  I,  263. 

Rain,  I,  374;  II,  172,  180. 

Rain-giver,  I,  375. 

Rain-god,  I,  377. 

Rain-maker,  I,  186,  282,  371. 

Rain-making,  II,  183;  dance  of, 
I,  243. 

Rain,  seasons  of,  II,  249. 

Rains,  male  and  female,  II,  249. 

Rainbow,  I,  368,  373,  377;  image 
of  the,  I,  381. 

Ram  =  soul  of  Osiris,  I,  271. 

Ram-god,  I,  43  ;  II,  68. 

Ram  of  Mendes,  1, 60,  224;  II,  281. 

Ram  of  Osiris,  II,  15,  59. 

Rameses  II,  I,  198;  II,  19,  242. 

Rameses  III,  I,  254;  II,  19. 

Ramesseum,  II,  210. 

Ramseyer,  I,  229  ;  II,  92. 

Raphia  palm,  II,  195. 

Ras  Gtigsa,  I,  194. 

Raw  meat,  I,  363. 

Reade,  Mr.  Winwood,  I,  186,  241, 
298,  366;  II,  80,  105,  192,  216, 
265. 


422 


Index 


Rebmann,  II,  206. 

Red  body-colouring,  II,  257. 

Red  bull,  II,  349. 

Red  crown,  I,  121,  162. 

Red  devils,  I,  371. 

Red  dwarfs,  I,  322. 

Red  essence,  II,  342. 

Red  feathers,  II,  393. 

Red  land,  II,  71. 

Red  men  sacrificed,  I,  210. 

Red  paste  (pomade),  I,  325. 

Red  Sea,  II,  193,  283. 

Red  sky,  I,  377. 

Red-water  ordeal,  I,  318;  II,  191. 

Reeds,   field  of,  I,   97,   118,   125, 

129. 
Reeds,  lake  of,  II,  334. 
Reed  mat  of  Osiris,  I,  39. 
Reggio,  II,  286. 

Registers  of  heaven,  I,  166,  309. 
Regulators  on  Nile,  I,  11. 
Rehnent,  II,  17. 

Rehti,  the  two  goddesses,  II,  70. 
Rehui,  the  two,  I,  64. 
Reichardt,  II,  285. 
Reid,  Mr.  Hunter,  II,  237. 
Reincarnation,   I,    366;    II,    141, 

143- 
Rekhit,  I,   139,  140,  159;  II,  74, 

189. 
Rekh-ma-Ra,  II,  97. 
Relic  chamber  at  Abydos,  II,  13. 
Relics,    worship    of,    I,   365 ;    II, 

196. 
Religion  of  black  tribes,  I,  366. 
Religion  of  fetish,  I,  366. 
Remen,  II,  59. 
Rement,  cow-goddess,  II,  26, 
Remorse  (eat  the  heart),  I,  342. 
Renen,  I,  321. 
Renenit,  I,  332. 
Rennut,  I,  14. 
Renpet,  year-goddess,  II,  308. 


Re-pan,  II,  352. 

Repit  Anu,  I,  156. 

Reproduction,  god  of,  I,  19. 

Reptile-god,  I,  22. 

Rera  (father),  II,  207. 

Rerat,  II,  56. 

Rerei,  II,  174. 

Resanebf,  II,  54. 

Resenet,  II,  16. 

Reshpu,  I,  289. 

Restau,  I,  340,  345,  346,  347  ;  II, 

12,  16,  17,  29,  54,  91. 
Rest-day,  I,  395. 
Resu,  II,  17. 
Resurrection,    I,    280,    312,    313; 

II)    251,     315  ;    of   Horus,    II, 

279;  of  Osiris,    II,  40,  43,  58; 

of  spirit  body,  II,  177. 
Retasashaka,  II,  174. 
Retete  tree,  II,  260. 
Revenue  of  shrine  of  Osiris,  II,  4. 
Revolver,  name  of  Ra,  II,  317. 
Rewards,  II,  164. 
Reza,  I,  363. 
Rhea,  I,  2,  9. 
Rhodes,  II,  285. 
Ribs,  human,  curried,  I,  186. 
Rice,  offerings,  I,  295. 
Right  in  place  of  wrong,  I,  112; 

God  loves  the,  I,  306. 
Right  side,  II,  184. 
Righteousness,  I,  314. 
Ritual  of  divine  cult,  I,  250. 
River-god,  I,  278,  373. 
River  of  the  Tuat,  II,  135. 
Road  of  Horus,  I,  135. 
Roads,  I,  135,   139;  of  the  Tuat, 

II,    159 ;    from   earth  to  Dead 

land,  II,  165. 
Robbery,  I,  340. 
Rohinda,  King,  II,  99. 
Rokko-coat,  I,  236. 
Roll,  the  written,  II,  321,  342. 


Index 


423 


Rollin  papyrus,  II,  178. 

Romans  and  Isis,  II,  287. 

Rome,  II,   293,  303  ;    worship  of 

Isis  in,  II,  286. 
Rondia  sap,  I,  326. 
Ronga,  I,  361. 
Roondah,  I,  402. 
Roots  in  divination,  187. 
Rope,  green  and  red,  II,  325. 
Rosaries,  II,  196. 
Roscher,  Herr,  II,  286. 
Roscoe,  Rev.  J.,  II,  95. 
Rossi,  I,  352. 
Rothschild,  Hon.  L.  W.,  I,  331; 

n,  235. 
Royal  Brethren,  the,  II,  244. 
Royal  Library  at  Thebes,  II,  178. 
Routledge,  Mr.,  II,  163,  164. 
Ru,  land  of,  II,  314. 
Rua,  II,  253. 
Ruanda,  I,  182. 
Rudwan,  I,  177. 
Ruki-Juapa  River,  I,  189. 
Ruler  of  Amenti  (Osiris),  II,  4. 
Rumanika,  I,   182,  393,  395  ;    II, 

99j  231,  251. 
Runner,  the  (moon),  II,  250. 
Ruruti,  II,  362,  363. 
Rut-tetet,  I,  279  ;  II,  94. 
Ruwenzori,  I,  325. 


Sa,  Saa,  god,  origin  of,  I,  65,  115, 

i49>  319- 
Sa-Asar,  II,  180. 

Sabazius,  II,  305. 

Sabu,  I,  308. 

Sacrifice,  human,  I,  197  ff.  ;  to 
Osiris,  II,  12  ;  importance  of, 
I.  379  i  in  general,  I,  247. 

Sacrifices,  I,  369 ;  worship  o(,   I, 

375- 
Sacrilege,  I,  340. 


Sacrum  of  Osiris,  I,  48 ;  II,  280. 
Sah,   Sahu,  Sahu  (Orion),   I,   121, 

166;  II,  63,  307,  340. 
Sahal,  Island  of,  I,  176. 
Sahara,  I,  321. 
Sahu,  I,  107,  389. 
Sahu,  the  Spirit-body,  I,  121,  137  ; 

II,  123. 
Sahu-Ra,  I,  279. 
Sailors,   II,  340;  of  Ra,  I,    113; 

n,  330. 
Saints,  Christian,  I,  334. 
Sais,  city  of,  I,   254,  354;  II,   17, 

57,    65,    158;  Upper   Sais,    II, 

18. 
Saites,  nome  of,  II,  64. 
Sakkarah,    I,    175,    379;    II,    16, 

157,  220. 
Sakwadi  dance,  I,  242. 
Sallier  papyrus  IV,  II,  180. 
Saliva  of  Horus,  I,   159  ;  of  Ra, 

II,  232. 
Salt,  I,  363. 
Salt,    Mr.    H.,   I,    193,    194;    II, 

115- 
Salvation,  physical,  I,  276. 
Samba,  II,  191. 
Sa-mer-f,  II,  5,  320,  335. 
Samos,  II,  285. 
Samt-urt,  I,  146. 
Sanctuary  of  Osiris,  II,  4. 
Sand,   II,  17,    162,  182;   divining 

by,  II,  192. 
Sand  board,  II,  193. 
Sand  flies,  II,  236. 
Sand-gazing,  II,  192. 
Sandal,  I,  163  ;   II,  36  ;    on  head 

of  enemies,   I,    132  ;  of  Horus 

I,  141. 
Sandals,  II,   325,   327,   333,   358  ; 

of  white  leather,  II,  176. 
Songs,  II,  242. 
Sanguinetti,  I,  178,  225  ;  II,  230, 


424 


Index 


Sankombum,  I,  364. 

Sanseviera,  II,  207. 

Sapatan,  I,  367. 

Sapi  (Saite  nome),  II,  64. 

Sarapis,   I,   60,   61,  398  ;  II,  285, 

290,  293,  294,  297,  306. 
Saronic  Sea,  II,  296. 
Saru,  II,  188. 

Sasa,  Island  of,  I,  in,  120. 
Sasabonsum,  I,  222,  371. 
Sashsa,  god,  I,  75. 
Sassi,  Dr.,  II,  34. 
Sata,  II,  172. 
Sata  serpent,  II,  172. 
Sati  City,  II,  18. 
Satitaui,  II,  174. 
Saturn,  II,  250. 
Satyrs,  I,  11,  231. 
Sau  serpent,  I,  143. 
Sau,  I,  342. 
Sau  (shepherd),  II,  64. 
Saucan,  I,  298. 
Saut  (Sais),  I,  93,   138;    II,  313, 

353- 
Sauti,  I,  342. 

Sawbat,  I,  376. 

Scale-work,  I,  39,  40,  324,  326. 

Scales  of  Judgment,  I,  318,  339; 
II,  18. 

Scarab,  I,  117;  the  heart,  I,  333. 

Scarabaeus,  I,  277. 

Sceptre,  II,  322  ;  of  Osiris,  I,  78, 
104,  324. 

Schack,  Count,  II,  156. 

Schafer,  Dr.,  I,  198,  398;  II,  5,  8. 

Schiaparelli,  I,   loi. 

Schiff,  Herr  A.,  II,  289. 

Scholz,  II,  285. 

Schweinfurth,  Dr.,  I,  178,  179, 
236,  285,  320,  325,  361,  395, 
400;  II,  79,  82,  86,  99,  100, 
118,  139,  183,  184,  204,  207, 
221,  230,  242,  245,   257. 


Scorpio,  I,  4. 

Scorpion  (Pandinus),  II,  236. 

Scorpion,  II,  172  ;  stings  Horus,  I, 

96  ;  the  seven  of  Isis,  II,  275. 
Scribe-gods,  I,  166,  309. 
Scribe  of  the  Block  of  God,  II, 

321. 
Scribe  of  the  gods,  I,  97. 
Sculpture  invented,  I,  10. 
Sea-god  (and  goddess),  I,  373  ;  II, 

288. 
Sea,  Other  World  at  bottom  of,  II, 

166. 
Seal,  the  little,  I,   125  ;    of  Pepi, 

II,  362  ;  of  the  shrine,  I,  6;^,  250. 
Seat-maker  (Osiris),  I,  26. 
Seasons,   II,    248  ;   the  three,  II, 

249;  order  of,  I,   19. 
Sebau,  I,  90,  200 ;  II,  46,  62,  64, 

69.  77- 
Sebek,  I,  21,  128;  II,  350;  finds 

limbs  of  Horus,  I,  63. 
Sebek-khu,  II,  14. 
Sebennytus,  II,  59,  292. 
Sebeq,  god,  II,  50. 
Sebt  tree,  II,  344. 
Sebut,  I,  154. 
Second  burial,  II,  266. 
Second  sight,  II,  147. 
Seduction,  II,  215. 
Sefert,  Osiris  ascends  to  heaven  of, 

I,  129. 
Seh  (Orion),  I,  154,  156. 
Sehert  stone,  II,  137. 
Sehnen,  II,  16. 
Sehpu,  II,  345. 
Sehseh,  I,  119. 
Sehseh,  Lake  of,  I,  164. 
Sehseh,  Mountain  of,  II,  319. 
Sehtet,  II,  16. 
Seker,  I,   72,   136  ;  II,   2,  16,  27, 

47.  67,  146,  157,  310.  312,  332, 

339- 


Index 


425 


Seker  boat,  II,  69  ;  figure  of  the, 
II,  23. 

Seker,  kingdom  of,  I,  58 ;  mould 
of,  II,  30;  of  Memphis,  I,  37. 

Seker-kha-baiu,  I,  247. 

Seker  Khent  Petchu,  II,  336. 

Seker  Osiris,  I,  61,  386  ;  II,  32, 
51,  57;  of  Busiris,  II,  33,  34, 
42. 

Sekha-Heru,  II,  57,  337. 

Sekhem,  I,  162,  340;  II,  12,  75, 
76,  362. 

Sekhem  (power),  II,  50,  52,  347  ; 
Sekhem  +khu,  II,  133  ;  Sekhem 
of  the  Sekhemu,  II,  133. 

Sekhem  (LetopoHs),  II,  362,  363. 

Sekhem-utcha,  II,  325. 

Sekhen-ur,  I,  109. 

Sekhet,  goddess,  I,  352  ;  temple 
of,  II,  56. 

Sekhet-Aar,  Sekhet-Aaru  (field  of 
reeds),  I,  80,  97,  98,  113,  117, 
148,  154,  163,  164;  II,  67, 
160,  172,  307,  310,  311,  312, 
316,   317,  320,   322,  324,  325, 

336,  354,  357- 

Sekhet-Aaru,  the  Aats  of,  II,  343. 

Sekhet-hetep,  I,  97,  104,  113,  125, 
148,  159,  399  i  II>  316,  319, 
322,  324,  326,  330,  361. 

Sekhet-hetep,  lakes  of,  II,  327. 

Sekhet-Khennu,  II,  328. 

Sekhet-Mafkat,  I,  164. 

Sekhet-Nenta,  II,  336. 

Sekhet-Pat,  II,  324. 

Sekhet-Tcher,  II,  334. 

Sekhet-Uatchet,  II,  336. 

Sekote  grave,  II,  88. 

Seksen,  II,  340. 

Sektet,  II,  346. 

Sektet  boat,   I,    103  ;  II,    32,  64, 

74. 
Sektu  stars,  I,  141. 


Sekhmef,  II,  363. 

Sekhmet,    goddess,    I,    m,    154^ 

353;  II.  57- 
Sekhmet-urt,  II,  349. 
Selene,  II,  287, 
Sem  priest,  I,  5,  124. 
Sema  land,  I,  162. 
Semktet  Boat,   I,    106,   117,    126, 

164;  II,  323,  334,  356. 
SemUki  River,  I,  325. 
Semliki  Valley,  II,  220. 
Semsu,  II,  15. 
Semti,  I,  34,  35,  37,  197,  198,  231  ; 

his  dancing,  I,  232  ;  his  plaque, 

I,  33- 
Sena,  II,  318. 

Seneferu,  I,  198,  207;  II,  178. 
Senegal,  I,  321  ;  II,  193. 
Senemtet,  Island  of,  II,  281. 
Senga,  II,  225  ;  burial,  II,  103. 
Senjero,  I,  194;  II,  266. 
Sennaar,  II,  139,  223. 
Sennfetta,  II,  174. 
Sensent,  town  of,  II,  355. 
Sent,    I,    84,    88,   139;    name  of 

Osiris,  I,  132. 
Sentru,  I,  130. 
Sep,    II,    28,    58 ;  mould   of,   II, 

30 ;  vessels  of,  II,  24. 
Sepa,  II,  215,  317  ;  the  insect,  II, 

234  ff. 
Sepa-ur  serpent,  I,  142. 
Sepeh-urt,  II,  362. 
Sepes,  god,  II,  289. 
Sept,     Septet,    goddess    (Sothis), 

I,  93,  107,  III,  122,   145,   156, 

164,  389;  II,  58,  63,  308,  316, 

319,  339.   340,   344.   350.  353; 

under  the  trees,  I,  76. 
Sept-abehu,  I,  109. 
Septu,  I,  109. 
Sept-ur,  II,  322. 
Sepulchre  of  Osiris,  II,  34. 


426 


Index 


Ser  goose,  II,  328. 

Serapis,  I,  398  ;  II,  272. 

Serau,  I,  142,  143. 

Serekh,  the,  I,  31 ;  II,  60. 

Serekhi,  I,  342. 

Serenity,  I,  316. 

Ser-kheru,  I,  341. 

Serpent,  at  the  throne  of  Osiris,  I, 
43;  boat,  II,  157;  guide,  I, 
120;  the  spitting,  II,  233;  the 
talking,  II,  237  ;  thirteen  hun- 
dred cubits  long,  II,  157. 

Serpents,  fiery,  II,  158. 

Serqet,  I,  126;  II,  172,  334,  339, 
349  ;  amulet  of,  II,  38. 

Serqet-het  (or,  hetu),  I,  135,  142  ; 

n,  337- 

Serser,  Island  of,  I,  iii. 

Servant-figures,  I,  218. 

Servants  of  Isis,  II,  293. 

Sesamune  oil,  I,  181. 

Sese  Islanders,  I,  180. 

Seshat  goddess,  I,  71,  86,  136. 

Sesheke,  I,  393. 

Sesheta,  I,  309;  II,  260,  290. 

Sessamum,  I,  185. 

Sesse  Islands,  I,  292. 

Sessi  crocodile,  II,  239. 

Set,  I,  28,  32,  46,  62,  64,  65,  76 
81,  82,  84,  87,  89,  91,  92,  95 
96,  102,  103,  105,  108,  III 
114,   119,   125,    129,   130,   132 

i33>  134,  143.  147.  15I)  153 
i54>  156,  165,  169,  200,  210 
212,  247,  309,  311,  312,  328 

350,  371,  373,  378,  386,  387 
388;  II,  I,  4,  6,  7,  II,  18,  21 

32,  45,  46,  54,  70,  131,  167 

171,  179,  203,  213,  224,  250 

272,  275,  279,  295,  313,  314 

321,  327,  329,  331,  332,  334 

335,  341,  344,  345,  346,  347 

351,  352,  355,  360.J 


Set,  Aat  of,  I,  98  ;  as  a  pig,  1,^42  ; 
bears  up  deceased,  I,  32  ;  con- 
demnation of,  I,  166;  domains 
of,  I,  80 ;  eats  the  moon,  I,  62 ; 
eight  fiends  of,  I,  148 ;  his 
genitals  cut  off,  I,  64 ;  restored 
to  him,  I,  105,  106  ;  ladder  of, 
II,  309;  member  of,  I,  140; 
model  of,  II,  8 ;  Osiris  set  on 
his  back,  I,  27 ;  sets  up  the 
ladder,  I,  75  ;  spittle  of,  I,  159; 
steals  eye  of  Horus,  II,  328 ; 
uraeus  of,  II,  342. 

Set-gods,    upper    and    lower,    II, 

359- 
Set-Amenti,  I,  124. 
Set-qesu,  I,  341. 
Set  goose,  II,  328. 
Setani,  II,  260. 
Setanik,  II,  186. 
Setcheh,  I,  122. 
Setem,  priest,  II,  47,  66. 
Setema,  II,  358. 
Setet,  I,  155. 
Sethe,  Herr,  I,  34,  175,  305,  307  ; 

II,  5,  164. 
Sethenu  boat,  II,  74. 
Sethta,  II,  317. 
Seti  I,  I,  34,  41,   198,  220,  279; 

II,    13,    18,    70 ;    offerings    of, 

I,  253  ;  shabti  of,  I,  214. 
Setme,  II,  180. 

Seven,  the  number,  II,  247. 
Seven  Beings  of  the  Lake  of  Fire, 

II,  81. 

Seven  Cow-goddesses,  I,  399. 
Seven  days,  II,  27. 
Seven  halls,  II,  173. 
Seven  months,  II,  27. 
Seven  planets,  the,  II,  181. 
Seven  scorpion  goddesses,  II,  275. 
Seven  uraei  goddesses,  I,  128. 
Seventy-two  conspirators,  I,  3,  4. 


Index 


427 


Sexual  intercourse,  II,  216. 
Shaakpanna,  I,  373. 
Shaas-hetep,  II,  55. 
ShablCikah,  I,  i. 
Shabt  flower,  II,  322. 
Shabtiu  figures,  I,  214. 
Shadow,  I,  371  ;  II,  26  ff". 
Shadow-king,  II,  243. 
Shadow-spirits,  I,  297. 
Shadows,  good  and  bad,  II,  126. 
ShadHf,  I,  2 1 8. 
Shai,  god,  I,  43,  331. 
Shaka  Amen  Shakanasa,  II,  174. 
Shaluda  muscle,  I,  193,  194. 
Shango,  I,  373. 
Shapuneterarika,  II,  173. 
Sharesharekhet,  II,  173. 
Shareshathakatha,  II,  174. 
Sharpe,  quoted,  I,  25. 

Shas-hetep,  II,  75. 

Shau,  II,  18. 

Shauabti,  I,  214. 

Shaving  the  head,  I,  15,  394;    of 
Pepi,  II,  339. 

Shaw,  Miss  F.,  II,  264,  265. 

Shekani,  I,  365. 

Shekh  Idris,  I,  286. 

Shekh  Sayyid  al-Badawi,  II,  3. 

Shekiani  cloth,  I,  295. 

Shemshemet  plant,  I,  128. 

Shena-hennu,  II,  55. 

Shenat,  II,  54. 

She-neter,  II,  353. 

Shendi,  I,  128  ;  II,  230. 

Shenit,  I,  333;  II,  61,  62. 

Shenmet-urt,  I,  158. 

Shennu,  II,  18. 

Shent,  II,  24. 

Shentet,  II,  342. 

Shenti,  goddesses,  II,  33. 

Shentit,  goddess,    II,  30,  41,  42  ; 
stripped  naked,  II,  27. 

Shenu-qebt,  II,  58. 


Shen-ur,  I,  137. 
Shepherd  (Osiris),  II,  16. 
Sherbro  Hinterland,  II,  221,  254. 
Shesa    Khent-Shenat,    I,    74;  II, 

335- 
Shesmu,    I,    120,    131,    202,    204, 

208  ;  II,  349. 
Shesshes,    crocodile   of,    II,    239, 

241. 
Shest,  Shesta,  II,  83. 
Shest,  Horus  of,  II,  310. 
Shesti,  I,  III. 
Shesu  Heru,  II,  329. 
Sheta  shrine,  II,  68. 
Shetat,  goddess,  II,  56. 
Shetait,  I,  341. 
Sheten,  II,  58,  350. 
Sheth  garment,  II,  316. 
Shethit,  sanctuary,  II,  68. 
Shet-kheru,  I,  341. 
Shet-pet,  I,  84,  132  ;  II,  351. 
Shetth,  II,  322. 
Shilluks,   I,    259,    290,    376,   402 ; 

II,  257. 
Shimbec,  II,  104. 
Shindi,  II,  230. 
Shinga,  II,  265. 
Ship  of  Isis,  II,  298. 
Ships,  wax,  II,  181. 
Shir,  II,  209. 

Shoa,  I,  182,  194,  363  ;  II,  162. 
Shoans,  I,  194. 
Shoulders,    carrying    on    the,    II, 

343 ;  of  Osiris,  I,  387  ;   II,  49  ; 

sitting  on  the,  II,  255. 
Shrine,  I,  113. 
Shrines  of  Osiris,  I,  320;    II,   2, 

i5>  19,  27,  42. 

Shrine-boat  of  Osiris,  II,  15. 

Shu,  I,  3,  32,  77,  86,  92,  108,  109, 
114,  115,  129,  130,  131,  135, 
142,  152,  158,  319,  350,  353, 
373;   II.  52,  70,   7i>   203,    255, 


428 


Index 


314,  318,  319,  321,  330,  338, 

339.   340,  341,  343»  349.   352, 

357.  360,  361 ;  how  created,  II, 

203,  330. 
Shula  grave,  II,  87. 
ShuUas,  I,  376, 
Sicilians,  II,  288. 
Sicily,  I,  9  ;  II,  286. 
Sickness,  II,  145  ;  caused  by  evil 

spirits,  II,  189,  210. 
Sicknesses,  healing  of, '11,  177. 
Sidama,  II,  260. 
Sidon,  I,  4. 
Sidr  tree,  II,  60. 
Sieber,  Herr,  II,  239. 
Sierra  Leone,  I,  394;  II,  223. 
Silsilah,  I,  171. 
Simatua,  II,  227. 
Sin,  I,   256,   261,  335,  338,  369; 

II,  51,  363- 
Sinai,  I,  198,  200. 
Sinaitic  Peninsula,  II,  283. 
Sin  Kwain  Custom,  II,  247. 
Sinews  of  Osiris,  II,  49. 
Singing,  II,  161. 
Sinkinda,  II,  152,  153. 
Sirach,  I,  379. 

Sirius,  I,  107  ;  II,  63,  250,  251. 
Sisa,  II,  122,  124,  138. 
Sisters,  the  Two,  II,  50,  64,   68, 

70. 
Sister  wives,  II,  213. 
Sistrum  amulet,  II,  40. 
Sistra  of  Osiris,  II,  15. 
Sitting  on  shoulders,  II,  256. 
Six  Stars  =  Great  Bear,  II,  251. 
Skertchley,  I,  186,  229,   241,  300, 

368;    II,    92,    143,    151,    155, 

162,  166,  227,  243,  247,  266. 
Skin,  human,  I,   183;  II,  188;  of 

bull,  I,  41,  45. 
Skull,  in  magic  ceremonies,  I,  191 ; 

preservation  of,  I,  172;  II,  299; 


as   a   drinking   vessel,   I,    194  ; 
skulls    in   pots,    I,     173;    over 
graves,  I,  226. 
Sky,  doors  of,  II,  75  ;    the  nether, 

I,  107  ;  place  of  souls,  II,  167. 
Sky-god,   I,    372,    374;    his  eyes, 

II,  250. 
Sky-goddess,  I,  2,  152. 
Slaughter  house,  I,  341 ;  of  Osiris, 

I,  204. 
Slaughterer,  II,  349. 
Slave  Coast,  II,  253. 
Slave  figures,  I,  216. 
Slave  stick,  I,  46,  204. 
Slave  traders,  I,  187. 
Slaves  killed  at  funerals,  II,  100, 

112. 
Slayer  of  souls,  I,  202. 
Sledge  for  Tekenu,  I,  224. 
Sleep,  I,   145  ;    II,   305,   346 ;    of 

the  blessed,  I,  103. 
Sleeping  Sickness,  II,  236. 
Sma  Bull,  II,  333,  335,  356. 
Sma  Behutet,  II,  24,  59. 
Small-pox,  I,  367. 
Small-pox-god,  I,  373. 
Smamiu  fiends,  II,  45. 
Smam-ur,  II,  146. 
Smat,  goddess,  I,  119;  11,1337. 
Smat-urt,  I,  119;  II,  350. 
Smauimaternu-Atisau,  II,  174. 
Sma-ur,    I,    109,    137,    155,    162, 

319;  II,  321,  349. 
Smautanenmui-Atisau,  II,  174. 
Smauttchakaratcha-Atisau,  II,  174. 
Smauttekabaiu-Atisau,  II,  174. 
Smauttekaiu-Atisau,  11,  174. 
Smen    goose,    I,     123,    148;    II, 

348. 
Smen  incense,  I,  158. 
Smen-Heru,  II,  56. 
Smennu,  I,  130. 
Smentet,  I,  146;  II,  337,  357. 


Index 


429 


Smer  priest,  I,  224. 

Smet,  I,  106. 

Smetu,  II,  348. 

Smiters,  II,  327. 

Smoke-dried  bodies,  II,  90,  104. 

Snake  bones,  II,  195. 

Snake  charmers,  II,  234, 

Snake-god,  I,  377. 

Snakes,  worship  of,  II,  236. 

Snuffbox  offering,  I,  228. 

Soko,  I,  331  ;  II,  131. 

Soles  of  Osiris,  II,  49. 

Son  of  God,  II,  340  ;   everlasting, 

I,  107. 

Son  of  Ra,  I,  380. 

Sons  of  Horus,  II,  139  ;  and  see 

under  Four. 
Song  of  the  Harper,  I,  238. 
Songhay,  II,  264. 
Songs,  I,  391. 
Sonni  Ali,  II,  264. 
So-Sin  Custom,  I,  240  ;  II,  92,  243. 
Sethis,  I,  III,  122,  145,  156,  164, 

389;    II,   250,    277,   291,    308, 

316,  319,  321,  340;    abode  of 

Isis,  I,  384. 
Soul  =  God,  II,  172;  the  Divine, 

II,  325;  the  Dual,  II,  127,  135  ; 
the  Everlasting,  II,  68 ;  ideas 
about,  II,  125  ;  is  immortal,  I, 
360;  the  hving,  II,  67,  317; 
the  mighty,  I,  137. 

Soul-god,  II,  326. 

Soul  of  Ashem,  II,  337. 

Soul  of  Osiris,  II,  15,  40. 

Souls,  the  four,  in  man,  II,  127. 

Souls,  hunters  of,  II,  241. 

Souls  in  boat  of  Af,  II,  158; 
journey  to  Abydos,  II,  4 ;  judg- 
ment of,  II,  126. 

Souls  of  An  (or  Anu)  I,  77,  123, 
130,    161  ;    II,   316,  331,   333, 
334,  345- 
VOL.  II. 


Souls  of  everlastingness,  II,  172. 
Souls  of  Nekhen,  I,  125,  161  ;  II, 

33o»  349- 
Souls  of  Pe,  I,  125,  i6i;  II,  312, 

316,  330,  345,  349,  356. 
Souls  of  the  East,  I,  98. 
Souls  on  their  biers,  II,  68. 
Souls,  slayer  of,   I,   202  ;   stealing 

of,    II,    190;    stolen,    II,    144; 

transmigration    of,    I,    363 ;    II, 

139;  the  Two  Divine,  I,   123; 

union  of  in  the  Tuat,  II,  161. 
Source  of  Law,  I,  367. 
Spain,  II,  286. 
Spaniards,  I,  192. 
Spear,  pronged,  II,  187  ;  poisoned, 

I,  180;  of  Pepi,  II,  326. 
Speke,  I,  182,  349,  393,  395,  402; 

II,  92,  94,  99,  102,  162,  205, 
225,  228,  230,  231,  249,  251, 
260,  263. 

Spell,  II,  175;  of  Af,  II,  157;  of 
Isis,  II,  157  ;  of  Ra,  I,  378  ;  to 
be  said  four  times,  II,  174. 

Spells,  I,  282  ;  II,  170,  311. 

Spices,  II,  25  ;  the  twelve  magical, 
II,  29. 

Spiders,  II,  236. 

Spinal  column,  II,  199. 

Spine  bones  of  serpents,  I,  284. 

Spirit-body,  II,  76,  134,  171,  177, 
279. 

Spirit-burial,  II,  44,  266. 

Spirit-duality,  II,  226. 

Spirit-father,  I,  296. 

Spirit-figures,  I,  297. 

Spirit-guardians,  I,  332. 

Spirit-houses,  I,  158,  268,  299; 
II,  99. 

Spirit-huts,  I,  297. 

Spirit  land,  I,  167,  332. 

Spirit-residences,  I,  262. 

Spirit,  the  living,  I,  116. 

2    F 


430 


Index 


Spirit-possession,  I,  365. 
Spirit-power,  II,  201. 
Spirit-seed,  II,  310. 
Spirit-slaves,  I,  218. 
Spirit-soul,  II,  73,   132,   134,  136, 

171,  337  ;  in  crocodile,  II,  140; 

number  of  spirit-souls,  4,301,200 

or  4,601,200,  II,  149. 
Spirit-world,  II,  107,    108,   148  ff., 

163,  164. 
Spirit  of  death,  II,  145. 
Spirit  of  growing  crop,  I,  19. 
Spirit  of  new  moon,  I,  392. 
Spirit  of  Osiris,  II,  44. 
Spirit  of  vegetation,  I,  19. 
Spirits,  the,  I,  132,  154,  157,  159, 

161;     II,    74,    160,    321,    328, 

332;    adultery    with,    II,   225; 

ancestral,   I,   184,  258 ;  casting 

out,  II,    190;  cult  of,   I,   273; 

the  88,  I,  363 ;  good  and  bad, 

I,  369 ;  imperishable,  I,  149 ; 
in  gorillas,    I,  330 ;  in   motion, 

II,  163 ;  of  the  land,  I,  233  ; 
return  of  spirits  of  the  dead,  II, 
166;  nine  cubits  high,  I,  98; 
of  heaven,  I,  78,  79  ;  meals  to, 

I,  346;  orders  of,  I,  152;  of 
Pe,  I,  165  ;  of  Nekhen,  I,  165  ; 

II,  55  ;  propitiation  of,  I,  273  ; 
stature  of,  II,  149;  the  Two, 
IIj  339  '}  unburied,  I,  292. 

Spitting,  I,  105,  142,  292,  382  ; 
II,  206,  218,  252,  360;  an  act 
of  worship,  II,  203  ff. ;  a  sign  of 
fidelity  and  friendship,  II,  204 ; 
a  sign  of  cursing,  II,  203  ;  in 
farewell,  II,  206. 

Spitting  tabfl,  II,  204. 

Spit  adder,  II,    234 ;  serpent,    II, 

233- 
Spittle,  II,  186;  of  Set,  I,  159;  of 
Tem,  II,  203;  of  Horus,  II,  323. 


Spy,  I,  341- 

Squire,    translation    of    Plutarch's 

De  /side,  1,  2. 
Srahman,  I,  371  ;  II,  124. 
Srahmanadzi,  II,  164,  226. 
Srahmantin,  I,  371. 
Stability,  symbol,  I,  47. 
Staff  offering,  I,  228. ^ 
Staircase  of  Osiris,  II,  14,  18. 
Standard  of  Osiris,  II,  76. 
Standards,  the  Two,  I,  113. 
Stanley,  Sir  H.  M.,   I,   121,   226, 

292,    322  ;    II,    87,     187,    221, 

237,  259,  265. 
Stanley    Falls,    I,    187,    325 ;    II, 

259- 

Stanley  Pool,  I,  325 ;  II,  107, 
215,  246. 

Star-maps,  II,  250. 

Star  of  the  Great  Green,  II,  346. 

Star  spirit,  I,  28. 

Stars,  the,  I,  165;  II,  321,  330; 
falling,  I,  377  ;  images  of,  I, 
381  ;  the  imperishable,  I,  146, 
148,  159;  II,  76,  323,  327, 
339  ;  that  never  set,  I,  105  ;  II, 
323;  libation  of  the,  I,  105; 
shooting,  II,  154;  the  two 
kinds  of,  II,  250,  385. 

Stealers  of  hearts,  II,  131. 

Steatopygy,  II,  228. 

Steersman,  II,  338. 

Stele  of  Palermo,  I,  398. 

Sti,  Land  of  (Nubia),  I,  224;  II, 

65- 
Stick   for   counting,    I,    368 ;    of 

torture,  I,  204. 
Still  heart,  II,  74. 
Stinking  face,  II,  157. 
Stones,    as   amulets,    I,    285 ;  for 

offerings,    I,   270;  heaps  of,   I, 

293 ;  the  24  precious,  II,  29. 
Stool  of  the  god,  I,  371 ;  of  Osiris, 


Index 


431 


II,  96 ;  used  in  labour,  I,  304 ; 

of  the  Wakidi,  II,  263. 
Storm-god,  I,  377. 
Storm  winds,  I,  119. 
Strabo  quoted,  I,  4,  398  ;  II,  13, 

222,  223,  239. 
Strangling  of  victims,  I,  224. 
Street-god,  I,  367. 
String-tail,  II,  208. 
Strong  names,  I,  282 ;  II,  242. 
Strychnos,  II,  192. 
Styx,  II,  241. 
Suahili,  II,  206. 

Submission,  how  shown,  II,  162. 
Subugo  tree,  II,  260. 
Suckling  children,  II,  216. 
SMan,  I,  30,  174,  192,   195,  321, 

330;    II,   223;    dancing  in,   I, 

234;  Equatorial,  I,  198;  funeral 

murders  in,  I,  225. 
Sugar  cane,   I,    185  ;  offerings  of, 

I,  295. 
Suhman,  I,  371. 
Sui,  Crocodile-god,  II,  171. 
Suk,  I,  243;  II,  205,  227. 
Suku,  I,  369,  370. 
Sulla,  II,  293,  304. 
Sun,  not  worshipped  by  negroes, 

I,    381;    stands   still,    II,    182; 

worship   of,   I,    380,     381  ;    II, 

201. 
Sun  =  Osiris,  I,  15. 
Sun-god,   I,   380  ;    hymns  to,    II, 

224;  and  sycamores,  I,  98;  of 

night,  I,  21. 
Sun-spirit,  I,  395. 
Sunnu,  II,  17. 
Sunrise,  Mount  of,  II,  167. 
Sunsum,  I,  371. 
Sunthu,  II,  313. 
Sunth,  II,  317,  321,  330. 
Susu,  II,  317. 
Suten-henen,  I,  341 ;  II,  69,  74. 


Suten-hetep  ta,  I,   150,   154,  161, 

264,  266;  II,  172. 
Suti,  I,  64;  II,  131,  146. 
Suti,  clerk  of  works,  II,  224. 
Sutimes,    II,    74 ;  papyrus    of,    I, 

329- 
Sutui,  I,  289. 

Swallow,  II,  139;  as  Isis,  I,  6. 
Swathing  of  Osiris,  I,  147. 
Sweat,  I,  146;  II,  331 ;  of  Horus, 

II,  318. 
Swish  (mud),  I,  299. 
Sword-offering,  I,  228. 
Sycamore,    II,     259,    344;    bows 

down,  I,  163  ;  of  Osiris,  I,  37  ; 

of  turquoise,    I,   98 ;    of   Uba- 

Ukhikh,   I,    144 ;    the  two,   II, 

339- 
Syene,  I,  177. 
Syria,  I,  4,  16,  321,  381,  397  ;  II, 

212,  285. 


Ta-abt,  I,  137. 

Ta-Abtu,  I,  27. 

Taat,  I,  147. 

Tabet,  II,  350. 

Tables  for  offerings,  I,  266. 

Tablets  of  Osiris,  I,  309  ;  II,  329. 

Tabti,  I,  402  ;  II,  204,  213. 

Ta-her-sta-nef,  II,  67. 

Tahfirat  Farohin,  II,  222. 

Tahurat  Sunnah,  II,  222. 

Tail,  I,  324,  331  ;  tail-dancers, 
I,  240  ;  of  Bull  of  Bulls,  I,  131  ; 
of  Ra,  I,  130  ;  of  the  deceased, 
I,  132 ;  worn  by  Latukas,  I, 
234;  wearing  of,  II,  206. 

Tails  in  fetish,  I,  294 ;  of  cows 
and  giraffes,  I,  402. 

Tait,  goddess,  I,  147. 

Takht  al-raml,  II,  194. 

Takpwonun,  I,  367. 


2    F    2 


432 


Index 


Takwe,  II,  184. 

Tale  of  Two  Brothers,  I,  65. 

Talisman,  II,  263. 

Tamarisk  tree,  II,  33. 

Tambiira,  a  dance,  I,  236. 

Ta-mera,  I,  343. 

Tando,  I,  371. 

Tanen,  II,  71. 

Tanent,  II,  17. 

Tanganyika,     I,     245,     268,    322, 

392. 
Tanit,  II,  277. 
Tanitic  mouth  of  Nile,  I,  4. 
Tanta,  II,  3. 
Ta-Remu,  I,  63. 
Ta-ret,  I,  342. 
Ta-she,  I,  341. 

Taskmasters  of  Anu,  II,  334. 
Tasnek,  I,  308. 
Ta-sti  (Nubia),  I,  76,  154;  11,33, 

65>  311,  343- 
Tat,  II,  357,  363. 
Ta-Tchesert,  I,  44,  54,  84,    132; 

II,  i3>  67,  69,  70,  73,  349. 
Tattu  (Busiris),  II,  i,  10,  12,  29. 
Tatttiing,  I,  324  if. 
Tauarhasaqinahama,  II,  174. 
Taui-Rekhti,  II,  12. 
Taveta,  I,  173;  II,  258. 
Tax,  levying  of,  II,  337. 
Tchai  fiend,  II,  68. 
Tcham  sceptre,  II,  311,  342. 
Tchan  (Tanis),  II,  59. 
Tchanu,  the  Four,  II,  325. 
Tchatcha,  the,  I,  90,  333  ;  II,  10. 
Tchatcha-em-ankh,  II,  178,  179. 
Tcheba-kherut,  I,  147. 
Tchefa  food,  II,  344. 
Tchefet,  I,  342. 
Tchent,  II,  342. 
Tchenu  tree,  I,  104,  143. 
Tchenteru,  I,  93,  138. 
Tchenttchenter,  II,  319. 


Tchert,  I,   147. 

Tchert  bird,  I,  123;  II,  331,  344. 
Tcherti,  the  Two,  I,  75,  115. 
Tcheser-tep,  god,  I,  120,  122,  143, 

342. 
Tcheser-Teta,  I,  142. 
Tchetat,  II,  308. 
Tchetet,  II,  331. 
Tchetu,  I,  113;  II,  256. 
Tear-drop,  II,  38. 
Tears  of  Eye  of  Horus,  I,  104. 
Teb,    II,    295 ;     stone,    II,    36  ; 

temple  of,  II,  64. 
Teba,  I,  113. 
Tebeh,  the,  II,  25. 
Tebt  (Edfa),  II,  26. 
Teben  Ha-nebu,  II,  353. 
Tebha  =  Typhon,  I,  3. 
Tebti,  I,  342. 
Teeth   filed,    I,     178;    strung,    I, 

179;    of    Osiris,    II,    48;     of 

tigers,  I,  295. 
Tefen,  I,  115  ;  II,  275. 
Tefent,  I,  115. 
Tefnut,  I,   3,   86,    108,   131,   151 

3i9>    350,    353,    373;    II,    52 

255,    310,  340,  349,  354,   357 

360,    361  ;    origin    of,    II,   203 

33°- 
Tegbwesun,  I,  299. 

Teheni  amulet,  II,  211. 

Teheni  Amenti,  II,  210. 

Tehenu,  land  of,  II,  342. 

Teima,  stele  of,  II,  285. 

Tekenu,  I,  222,  223. 

Tem,  Temu,  Temt,  I,  65,  92,  104, 
105,  106,  107,  108,  114,  118, 
119,  125,  135,  158,  159,  165, 
222,  254,  319,  351,  352,  354, 
358,  360,  373,  399  ;  II,  14,  70, 
71,  75,  116,  143,  171,  172,  174, 
175,  230,  289,  311,  329,  333, 
336,   337,   341,   342,  343,  34S^ 


Index 


433 


347.  349.  352,  354.  355.  357. 
360,  361,  363  ;  the  father,  I, 
354)  356;  Tem  +  Shu  +  Tefnut, 

I,  353  ;  4  bulls  of,  I,  144 ; 
north  wind  from,  II,  282  ;  self- 
union  of,  II,  203. 

Tembandumba,    II,   80.     (Temba 

=  Ndumba.) 
Tembo  (tatttl  mark),  I,  325. 
Temple  of  Seti,  I,  54. 
Temples,  endowments  of,  I,  254. 
Ten  =  Semti,  I,  33,  34,  197,  207. 
Ten    Great    Ones    of    Anu    and 

Memphis,  I,  158. 
Tena,  festival  of,  II,  26,  27. 
Tenauit,  I,  288. 

Tenge  makan  fenkpon,  II,  243. 
Teni,  I,  153. 
Tenit,  II,  17, 

Tenk  (pygmy),  I,  232.  ' 

Tenten,  I,  109. 
Tenter  shrine,  II,  59. 
Tep,  II,  57;  lady  of,  11,318. 
Tepu,  I,  162  ;  II,  18. 
Terp  goose,  I,  148. 
Teshi,  I,  141. 
Testicles,  of  deceased,  I,  130;  of 

Osiris,   I,  387  ;   of  Set,  I,   133, 

165  ;  II,  342. 
Tet,  the,  I,  37,  48,  224;  II,  176, 

199. 
Tet,  amulet  of  the,  I,  276  ;  II,  83  ; 

forms  of,  I,  51  fF.  ;  as  Osiris  Un- 

Nefer,  1,51;  setting  up  the,  I, 

53'   55.   56,  212,   289;  II,  27; 

the    sacrum     or    backbone    of 

Osiris,  I,  212. 
Tet,  Tetu  (Busiris),    I,    48,    201, 

212,  220,  342  ;  II,  64. 
Teta,   King,   I,   26,   71,   84,   248; 

II,  220;  eats  the  gods,  I,  175'; 
text  of,  I,  129  ff. 

Tetat,  II,  315. 


Teti,  magician,  II,  179. 

Tetta-ab,  I,  126. 

Tette,  I,  272,  297. 

Tettet  (Mendes),  II,  64. 

Tetua,  I,  74. 

Tetun,  god,    I,   76,    154;  II    311, 

340;  odour  of,  II,  313. 
Thanasathanasa,  II,  174. 
That-I-em-hetep,  II,  144. 
Thebaid,  II,  239. 
Thebes,  I,  34,  198,  212,  254,  354, 

359.  372,  379.  397;  II.  19.  97. 
156,  178,  210,  224,  239,  278. 

Theb-neter,  II,  59. 

Theft,  I,  340. 

Thehen-atebu,  I,  144. 

Thehennu,  II,  57. 

Thekhsi,  I,  198. 

Themehu,  II,  163. 

Thena,  papyrus  of,  I,  328. 

Thenemi,  I,  341. 

Theodosius,  II,  284. 

Theoprosopos,  I,  4. 

Thessaly,  II,  286. 

Thet  amulet,  II,  280. 

Thetet,  II,  275. 

Thethu,  I,  122,  142. 

Th-I-em-hotep,  I,  60. 

Thigh,  mystic,  I,  345  ;  of  heaven, 
I,  148. 

Thirst,  I,  131 

This,  nome  of,  I,  53. 

Thmuis,  II,  59. 

Thomson,  Mr.  J.,  I,  173,  204,  228, 
239.  297.  361,  366,  402  ;  II,  82, 
104,  185,  209,  231,  258. 

Thoth,  I,  19,  22,  43,  56,  65,  66, 
68,  77,  81,  82,  83,  84,  87,  89, 
90,  96,  104,  106,  108,  116,  118, 
124,  130,  132,  133,  134,  138, 
140,  145,  153,  157,  161,  166, 
251,  280,  303,  305,  309,  312, 
313.   314.   316,   317.    318,  327, 


434 


Index 


328,  329,  334,  345,  346,  368, 
385,    389;    II,    7,    31,  34, 

43.  46,  5i>  56,  59.  70,  71, 
73)  74,  172,  179,  180,  203, 
207,  246,  250,  258,  260,  276, 
278,  282,   290,  307,   316,   328, 

329,  330,  333,  337,  338,  342, 
346,  356;  amulet  of,  II,  38; 
bathman  of  Ra,  II,  330  ;  brings 
Set  to  Osiris,  I,  27;  defends 
Horus,  I,  9 ;  the  recorder  of 
Egypt,  I,  347  ;  the  scribe,  I,  10 ; 
spells  of,  II,  65 ;  wing  of,  II, 
309,  331 ;  wipes  the  feet  of 
deceased,  I,  129. 

Thothmes  I,  II,  14. 

Thothiiies  III,  II,  15. 

Thothmes  IV,  I,  209,  224. 

Thothmes,  stele  of,  I,  289. 

Thrace,  I,  11. 

Three  stars  (Orion),  II,  251. 

Thresh  grain,  I,  140. 

Threshing-floor,  I,  399. 

Throne,  II,  313,  332  ;  of  Horus, 
II,  262  ;  of  Osiris,  I,  78,  104, 
149,  320,  346;  II,  262;  9 
steps  (or  5)  of,  I,  43 ;  set  on 
water,  I,  20  ;  with  faces  of  lions, 

n,  319. 

Throne  verses,  I,  283. 
Thunder,  I,  374;  II,  172. 
Thunderbolt-god,  I,  377. 
Thunderclap,  I,  373. 
Thunder-spirit,  I,  294. 
Ticks,  II,  236. 
Tieit,  I,  376,  403. 
Tiele,  Professor,  I,  358. 
Tiger,  II,  140. 
Tikki-Tikki,  II,  221. 
Tile,  I,  337. 
Tillage,  I,  11. 
Time,  II,  248. 
Timotheus,  II,  292. 


Titans,  I,  13. 

Tobacco,  I,  185;  offerings  of,  I, 
298. 

Tobe,  month,  II,  25. 

To-day,  II,  172. 

Toffo,  II,  243. 

Tokpodun,  I,  367. 

Tomb,  II,  143  ;  chapels  of  Osiris, 
I,  99;  endowments,  II,  134; 
murders,  II,  98  ff.,  165 ;  offer- 
ings of,  I,  306 ;  of  Horus, 
Osiris,  and  Set,  I,  99. 

To-morrow,  II,  172. 

Tomtom,  I,  237,  344. 

Tongue,  of  Osiris,  I,  387 ;  II, 
48;  of  Ptah,  II,  172;  tip  of,  a 
fetish,  II,  188. 

Toothache,  I,  284. 

Top-dressing,  I,  218. 

Torday,  Mr.  E.,  I,  189,  190,  245, 
278,  326,  349>  382;  II,  no, 
III,  122,  132,  192,  195,  221, 
242. 

Tortoise,  I,  258,  284. 

Tortures,  II,  163. 

Totems,  II,  201. 

Town  of  the  Cow,  II,  57. 

Tragelaphus,  II,  190. 

Trance,  II,  193. 

Transformations,  II,  186. 

Transmigration  of  souls,  I,  363, 
364,  366  ;  II,  139. 

Transmutation  of  offerings,  I,  264, 

354- 
Transubstantiation,  I,  366. 
Travelling  fetish,  II,  188. 
Treason,  II,  163. 
Tree-dwellers,  II,  263. 
Tree,  the  forbidden,  I,  369. 
Tree-frog,  I,  281. 
Tree-god,  I,  15,  22  ;  II,  261. 
Tree,  names  written  on,  II,  260 
Tree  of  life,  II,  327. 


Index 


435 


Tree  spirits,  I,  22,  28. 

Tree  worship,  II,  198,  259. 

Tresses  of  Horus,  I,  117  ;  of  Isis, 
II,  312. 

Triad,  I,  353,  363;  II,  321. 

Tribe,  spirit  guardians  of,  I,  297. 

Triumvirs  and  temple  of  Isis,  II, 
294. 

Troglodytes,  I,  222. 

Trumball,  Dr.,  I,  181. 

Truth,  I,  308,  309,  344  ;  II,  69, 
73 ;  acting  and  speaking  the, 
I)  336;  and  Osiris,  I,  91  ;  god- 
desses of,  I,  315. 

Tsetse  fly,  II,  235. 

Tshi  peoples,   I,    242,    297,    371, 

372, 394;  n,  121. 

Tua,  name  of  Osiris,  II,  17. 

Tua  neter,  I,  93,  138. 

Tuaanuu,  II,  317. 

Tuamutef,  I,  3,  106,  131,  i35  i  U. 
3i7>  328,  362. 

Tuat,  the,  I,  22,  44,  58,  107,  no, 
112,  114,  116,  154,  166,  208, 
389  ;  II,  46,  50,  76,  130,  148, 
157,  172,  174,  180,  277,  313, 
316,  323,  347;  all  souls 
admitted,  II,  163  ;  gates  of,  II, 
67,  159;  gods  of,  II,  149; 
guides  to,  II,  156,  158;  lakes 
of  the,  I,  117;  roads  of,  II, 
159;  spirits  of,  II,  68;    valley 

of,  11,  155- 
Tuats,  the  various,  II,  156. 
Tua-ur,  I,  74;  II,  335. 
Tucker,  Bishop,  II,  162,  218. 
Tuf,  I,  123,  306. 
Tun  plant,  I,  128. 
Tunic,     II,    359;     of     Pepi,     I, 

162. 
Tunis,  I,  321. 
Turin  papyrus,  I,  34. 
Turkana,  I,  243  ;  II,  227. 


Turquoise,  I,  285 ;  amulets  of, 
II,  36,  45  ;  sycamore  of,  I,  98. 

Tiirstig,  Mr.,  I,  403. 

Tutu-f,  I,  341. 

Tutu  Kwamina,  I,  228. 

Tuwala,  II,  225. 

Twice-born,  the,  II,  161. 

Twin  fetish,  I,  367. 

Twin,  umbilical  cord  of,  II,  95. 

Twin  souls,  II,  334. 

Twin  towns,  II,  227. 

Twins,  I,  243  ;  II,  224. 

Two  brothers,  I,  404. 

Two  brothers  (Horus  and  Set), 
II,  70. 

Two  combatants,  II,  59. 

Two  sisters,  the,  II,  65. 

Tycoon,  II,  243. 

Tylor,  Mr.  J.,  I,  266. 

Typhon,  I,  2,  4,  9,  11,  14,  15,  17, 
20,  28,  91,  210,  387  ;  II,  32, 
295  ;  his  banquet  to  Osiris,  I,  3  ; 
breaks  up  body  of  Osiris,  I,  7  ; 
his  fight  with  Horus,  I,  8. 

Typhon  =  heat,  I,  15. 

Tyre,  II,  285. 


Uahet,  I,  71,  136. 

Uak  festival,  I,  156  ;  II,  76,  355. 

Uakh,  II,  347. 

Uakhta,  I,  144. 

Uamemti,  I,  341. 

Uart  at  Abydos,  II,   13,  14,  323, 

325- 
Uart-ur,  II,  344,  358. 
Uas  sceptre,  I,  79 ;  II,  342. 
Uash,  11,  341. 
Uat,  abti,  I,  319;  meht,  I,  319; 

resu,  I,  319. 
Uat  Amenti,  I,  319. 
Uatch-aab-f,  Bull  of  Tem,  I,  144. 
Uatch  Merti,  II,  171. 


436 


Index 


Uatch  Nesert,  I,  341. 

Uatch-ur,  I,  137. 

Uatchet-urt,  I,  137. 

Uatchit,  I,  303  ;  II,  25,  57,  242. 

Uatchi-goddesses,  II,  55. 

Uba-ukhikh,  I,  144. 

Uben-ur,  II,  340. 

Ubnena,  II,  355. 

Ud  Dilgil,  I,  376. 

Uganda,   I,    172,    187,    292,    302, 

376,  377>  393  ;  II>  9o>  Qi.  93, 
94,  162,  240,  244,  245,  249, 
251  ;  burial  of  kings,  II,  102  ; 
graves  of,  I,  87. 

Ugulu  dance,  I,  242, 

Uher  stone,  II,  35. 

Ujiji,  I,  297,  392. 

Ukara,  II,  240. 

Ukele  dance,  I,  242. 

Ukuku  ceremony,  I,  369,  370. 

Ukwa,  I,  376. 

Ulodi  Pagani,  II,  264. 

Ullah,  I,  24. 

Umak  Ra,  I,  376. 

Umbilical  cord  of  Osiris,  II,  93  ff. ; 
of  kings  of  Uganda,  II,  95. 

Umbrella,  the  jaw,  II,  92  ;  offer- 
ing of,  I,  228. 

Umm  al-Ka'ab,  II,  8,  9,  13. 

Umm  al-Sebian,  I,  285. 

Umoi,  I,  376. 

Umvili,  I,  259,  375. 

Un,  god,  I,  163  ;  II,  16,  329. 

Unas,  I,  80,  81,  114,  184,  202, 
248,  3ii>  352;  II,  91.  116, 
214,    235;    eats   the    gods,    I, 

175- 
Uncle,  II,  216. 

Underground  dwellings,  II,  253. 
Under  World,  II,  253,  288. 
Uneb  flower,  I,  130. 
Unen-Nefer,  I,  317. 
Unas,  I,  341. 


Unguent    (Libyan),    II,    175;    of 

Horus  and  Set,  II,  362. 
Unguents,  II,  40,  90  ;  offerings  of, 

I,  261. 
Ung-Wad,  I,  376. 

Union,  sexual,  in  Tuat,  II,  160. 

Unk,  god,  I,  135,  166. 

Un-Nefer,    I,    50,    55,    334,   338; 

II,  29,  66,   67  ;   14  amulets  of, 
II,  25. 

Un-per,  festival  of,  II,  26. 

Unshet,  II,  317. 

Unshta,  II,  317. 

Unta,  I,  141. 

Unth,  I,  342. 

Unti,  god,  II,  68. 

Unyanyembe,  II,  225. 

Unyoro,  I,  182,  235,  269  ;   II,  97, 

98,  263,  264. 
Upau,  I,  150. 
U-pek,  II,  ig. 
Upper  Congo,    I,    325  ;  II,    191, 

220;  burial,  II,  107. 
Upper   Cross    River,    burial,    II, 

113- 

Upper  Kasai,  II,  108. 

Upper  Sais,  II,  18. 

Ura,  I,  160. 

Uraeus  crown,  II,  309  ;  goddess, 

I,  117;  II,  57- 
Uraeus,  on  brow  of  Set,  II,  309. 
Uraei,  the  Seven,  I,  128. 
Uregga,  II,  208. 
Urert,    Ureret,     Crown,     I,     117, 

128,    148,    149,    158,    159;  II, 

66,  358. 
Urine  of  cattle,  I,  400. 
Urit,  I,  341 ;  chamber,  II,  46. 
Ur-ka-f,  I,  132. 
Urrt,  II,  339. 
Ur-Shepsef,  II,  344. 
Urt,  I,  131 ;  goddess,  I,  108. 
Urt-hekau,  I,  108  ;  II,  352. 


Index 


437 


Urt-khentet-taiu-Anu,  II,  333. 

Urt-Shenit,  I,  137. 

Urur,  I,  142. 

Usari,  I,  24. 

Usekh-nemmet,  I,  340. 

Usekht  chamber,  II,  66. 

User  (Osiris),  I,  24. 

Userkaf,  I,  279. 

Usertsen  I,  I,  31 ;  II,  4. 

Usertsen  III,  I,  224;  II,  4. 

Ushabtiu,   I,    214,   216,   218;  II, 

96. 
Usikuma,  I,  336, 
Usimbi,  I,  297  ;  II,  259. 
Usiri,  I,  21,  25. 
Usoga,  I,  172. 
Usri,  I,  24. 
Ut  official,  I,  224. 
Utcha,   Utchat,   I,    224;    II,    50, 

360. 
Utchat  amulet,  II,  35-41. 
Utchau  (Eyes  of  Horus),  I,  384. 
Utchu-hetep,  II,  362. 
Utekh,  god  of  embalming,  II,  45. 
Utennu,  II,  359. 
Utero-gestation,  II,  291. 
Uterus  of  Isis,  II,  279. 
Utes,  1,  75. 
Utes-ur,  I,  139. 
Utet-khu,  I,  140. 
Utshi,  II,  40. 
Utu-rekht,  I,  347. 
Uvengwa,  II,  125. 


Vai,  II,  193. 

Vagina  of  Isis,  II,  280,  365. 
Valley  of  the  Block,  I,  202. 
Vangeli,  I,  226. 
Vegetable-god,  I,  373. 
Ventriloquists,  II,  183. 
Venus,  I,  146,  164;  II,  250,  251, 
287  ;  of  Paphos,  II,  288. 


Verheer,  Gen.,  I.,  227. 
Vertebrae  of  Osiris,  II,  49,  199. 
Victoria  Falls,    I,    382 ;    Lake,   I, 

98,  293,  362. 
Village,  the,  II,  259. 
Vine,  I,  19,  39,  45  ;  culture  of,  I, 

10,  II. 
Vineyards,  II,  19. 

Vinyata,  magic  doctor,  I,  181. 

Virey,  Mr.,  I,  350. 

Virgin,  the,  II,  202  ;  adoration  of, 

I,  283. 
Virility,  god  of,  I,  19. 
Vivi,  II,  234. 
Vokhe  Mau,  II,  243. 
Volta,  II,  122,  165. 
Vulture,  II,   55  ;  plumes,   the  16, 

11,  26. 

Vultures,  the  Two,  II,  319. 


Wad  ben  Nagaa,  II,  284. 

Wad  Maul,  I,  376. 

Wad  YAsuf,  I,  286. 

Wadt  al-Homar,  II,  286. 

Wadi  Halfah,  I,  336. 

Wadi  Magharah,  I,  198. 

Wadoe,  I,  194. 

Wahele,  tails  of,  II,  209. 

Wahiyow,  II,  94. 

Wahuma,  I,  183,  193;  II,  92. 

Waist-belt,  bead,  II,  208. 

Waitan  bugwe,  II,  184. 

Waiyau,  II,  221. 

Wak  =  God,  I,  362. 

Wak,  Waka,  II,  260. 

Wakamba,  I,   270,  362  ;    II,   145, 

221  ;  dances  of  the,  I,  237. 
Wakavirondo,  tails  of  the,  II,  209. 
Wakido,  II,  263. 
Waku,  I,  363. 
Wakuafi,  I,  363. 
Wakuasi,  II,  223. 


438 


Index 


WakungH,  I,  236. 

Woldutchi,  I,  194. 

Walker,  Rev.  Mr.,  I,  183. 

Walking  on  water,  II,  182. 

Walumbe,  II,  184. 

Walungu,  I,  228. 

Walusi,  I,  377. 

Wamala,  I,  377. 

Wambuttu,  II,  221. 

Wanema,  I,  377. 

Wanguana,  I,  395. 

Wanika,  I,  294,  295  ;  II,  206. 

Wanyamwesi,  II,   140  ;  burial,  II, 

104  ;  spirit  cult  of,  I,  293. 
War-canoe,  II,  259. 
War-clubs,  II,  321. 
War-dances,  I,  244. 
War-fetish,  II,  187. 
War-god,   I,  373,  377;  of  Helio- 

polis,  II,  171. 
War  stool,  II,  155. 
Ward,  Mr.  H.,  II,  151,  264,  265. 
Waregga,  II,  265. 
Warua,  I,  297. 
War u ma,  I,  295. 
Wasongora  Meno,  II,  265. 
Wasps,  II,  236  ;  used  in  medicine, 

II,  214. 
Watchers,   the,i  I,   140;    II,   173; 

in  the  Tuat,  II,  159;  of  Nekhen, 

I,  153;  II,  313;    of  Pe,  I,  153; 

II,  313;  of  Osiris,  I,  202. 
Water,  II,   309;  of  youth,  I,  133, 

150;  personified,  I,  373;  walk- 
ing on,  II,  182. 

Water-spirit,  I,  28  ;  II,  102. 

Watering  the  tombs,  II,  10,  269. 

Waw  Waw  Waw,  II,  249. 

Wax  images,  I,  212;  II,  181;  in 
black  magic,  II,  i7ff. ;  use  of, 
in  mummifying,  I,  12. 

Ways  of  Sekhet  Aaru,  II,  172. 

Waza,  I,  268. 


Wazezeru,  II,  230,  231. 

Waziba,  I,  377. 

Wealth-god,  I,  373. 

Weaving,  goddess  of,  II,  278. 

Wedding  dance,  I,  243. 

Week,  the,    II,    248;  the  Ibo,  I, 

227  ;  of  five  days,  II,  249. 
Wehr-wolf,  II,  154. 
Weighing  of  words,    I,    91,    126, 

146. 
Wele  River,  I,  326. 
Wele    Bomo    Kandi    burial,    II, 

no. 
Well  at  Abydos,   II,    12,   13,    18, 

19. 
Wellcome   Research    Laboratory, 

II,  193,  222,  240. 
Wenya,  II,  259. 
Werner,  Dr.  F.,  II,  195,  234. 
Wesege,  II,  184. 
West  Indies,  II,  201. 
West,  spit  towards,  I,  382. 
Westcar  Papyrus,  I,  331;  II,  94, 

178,  214. 
Westermarck,  II,  174,  175. 
Western  Congoland,  II,  191. 
Wheat,  II,  67  ;  cult  of,  I,  9,  11. 
Wheat  =  Osiris  dead,  II,  32,  160 ; 

from  body  of  Osiris,  I,  58  ;  five 

cubits  high,  I,  98. 
Whip,   I,    146 ;    of  Osiris,   I,  33  ; 

of  Semti,  I,  32. 
Whisk  of  antelope's  tail,  II,  195. 
Whiskers,  I,  284,  322. 
Whistle  for  rain,  II,  205. 
White,  death  colour,  I,  324. 
White  cow,  I,  376. 
White  crown,   I,    31,  32,    33,    37, 

39,    146,   162,   320  ;  II,   37,  66, 

82,  328,  337. 
White  House,  I,  116,  165. 
White  magic,  II,  170. 
White  Nile,  II,  205, 


Index 


439 


White  Wall,  II,  75. 
Whydah,  I,  367  ;  II,  227. 
Wicked,  the,  II,  166. 
Widows,  burying  of,  I,  226. 
Wiedemann,  Professor,  I,  27,  169, 

171;  II,  239,  287. 
Wife,  the  chief,  II,  215. 
Wives   buried   alive,    I,    228;    in 

Other  World,  II,   163. 
Wig,  I,  335  ;  of  Samt-urt,  I,  146. 
Wilkinson,  Sir  G.,  I,  34,  333. 
Williamson,    C.    N.,    and  A.,    II, 

193- 
Wilson,  the  Rev.   J.,  I,   293,  340, 

364,  365  ;  II,  80,  140,  151,  186, 

192,  197,  217. 
Wilyanwantu,  I,  187. 
Wind,  north,  II,  70,  74,  75. 
Winds,    I,     131  ;    the    Four,    II, 

258. 
Wine,   I,   19,   155,  255;    II,  318, 

346 ;  drunk  by  Osiris,  I,  10 ;  in 

heaven,  I,  39,  104. 
Wings  of  Thoth,  II,  323. 
Wise-god,  I,   no. 
Wise-woman,  II,  233. 
Witch,  smelling  out  the,  II,  194. 
Witch-doctor,   I,    282,    294,    302, 

379  ;  dance  of,  1, 237;  described, 

I,  191  ;  II,  183,  194. 
Witch-woman,  II,  232. 
Witches,  the  nine,  II,  247. 
Witchcraft,  I,   181,  273,  274,  370, 

394;  II,  144,  169,  238. 
Woda,  II,  260. 
Woda  Nabi,  II,  260. 
Wolf-god,  II,  159. 
Wolf,  skin  of,  I,  11. 
Wolves,  I,  306. 
Woman,  origin  of,  I,  369. 
Women    slaves    buried    alive,    I, 

226. 
Women,  steatopygous,  II,  228. 


Womb,  of  sky,  I,  130,  153 ;  of 
heaven,  II,  314. 

Wood  goblins,  I,  361. 

Word,  II,  342  ;  the  Great  (Osiris), 
I,  79;  II,  318;  of  God,  I, 
116;  of  power,  I,  74,  163,  277, 
282;  II,  159,  171;  Word-god, 
I,  no;  of  Tem,  II,  345. 

Words,  expeUing  of,  II,  29 ; 
weighing  of,  I,  91,  113;  utter- 
ance of,  at  creation,  I,  no. 

Worka,  II,  260. 

World-Mother,  II,  272,  281. 

Worship  of  gods,  I,  10  ;  =  sacri- 
fice, I,  374. 

Wotsehua,  II,  221. 

Writing,  art  of,  II,  170. 

Writings,  the  divine,   I,  97. 

Wyyanzi,  I,  181. 


Xicifu,  II,  249. 
Xois,  II,  53. 


Yalundi,  I,  320. 

Yams,  II,  261. 

Yanga,  II,  118. 

Year,   the,  II,   248 ;  Lord  of,  II 

347- 
Yemaja,  I,  373- 
Yer,  I,  363. 
Yergum,  II,  209. 
Yesterday,  II,  172. 
Yorubas,    I,    228,    372 ;  II,    122, 

124,    140,    166,  219,  249,  252, 

254,  261. 
Youth  of  the  South,  11,  313. 
Yucatan,  II,  159. 
Yukanye,  II,  238. 


440  Index 

Zaba,  I,  374.  Zeus,  I,  9;  II,  305,  306. 

Zambesi,   I,   325,  362  ;  II,    192,      Zoba  =  sun,  I,  382. 

225.  Zodiac,  II,  181,  251. 

Zebra,    I,    185  ;  fat   of,  II,    187;      Zombo,  I,  244. 

mane  of,  I,  237.  Zzambi,  I,  368. 


Harrison  and  Sons,  Printers  in  Ordinary  to  His  Majesty,  St,  Martin's  Lane 


Date  Due 


